'I never read it,' said Laura, suspecting malice.

'What is your opinion of perfect heroes?' continued Charles.

'Here comes one,' whispered Amy to her brother, blushing at her piece
of naughtiness, as Philip Morville entered the room.

After the first greetings and inquiries after his sister, whom he had
been visiting, Laura told him what they had been saying of the
advantage of a scanty range of reading.

'True,' said Philip; 'I have often been struck by finding how ignorant
people are, even of Shakspeare; and I believe the blame chiefly rests
on the cheap rubbish in which Charlie is nearly walled up there.'

'Ay,' said Charles, 'and who haunts that rubbish at the beginning of
every month? I suppose to act as pioneer, though whether any one but
Laura heeds his warnings, remains to be proved.'

'Laura does heed?' asked Philip, well pleased.

'I made her read me the part of Dombey that hurts women's feelings
most, just to see if she would go on--the part about little Paul--and I
declare, I shall think the worse of her ever after--she was so stony
hearted, that to this day she does not know whether he is dead or
alive.'

'I can't quite say I don't know whether he lived or died,' said Laura,
'for I found Amy in a state that alarmed me, crying in the green-house,
and I was very glad to find it was nothing worse than little Paul.'