"What do you mean, Hetty? Where is it?"

"Sit down, child, and don't distress yourself. Having rendered
everybody profoundly uncomfortable within a circuit of two miles and
almost worried itself to a sun-stroke, it has now gone into the house
to write at a commentary on the Book of Job, to be illustrated with
cuts, for one of which--to wit, the War-horse which saith, 'Ha, ha,'
among the trumpets--you observe Johnny Whitelamb making a study at
this moment."

"I think you must mean papa," said Patty; "and I call it very
disrespectful to compare him with Satan; for 'twas Satan sister Emmy
was reading about."

"So she was: but if you had read Plutarch every morning with papa, as
I have, you would know that the best authors (whom I imitate)
sometimes use comparisons for the sake of contrast. Satan, you
heard, eyed our first parents askance: papa would have stepped in
earlier and forbidden Adam the house. Proceed, Emilia! How goes
Milton on?--

"Adam and Eve and Pinch-me
Went to the river to bathe:
Adam and Eve were drown'd,
And who do you think was saved? . . ."

Molly drew her wrist away hurriedly. "Hetty!" she cried, as Emilia
withdrew into her book in dudgeon. "Hetty, dear! I cannot bear you
to be flippant. It hurts me, it is so unworthy of you."