"And we will answer, 'bah!'" said Josh Cheever, as Susan Sliver put her
hand over his mouth, for fear that he would give a sample.

Arrived at the plains, the wagons were turned a little into the
shrubbery, so as not to obstruct the passage of the narrow road; then
the company alighted, while Henry and Joshua led the horses to one of
the large trees, (of which there were, as we have already said, but
few,) each carrying a bundle of hay under his arm.

In the mean time Mary introduced the young ladies severally to Emma.
Alice More professed herself very glad to see her; but this profession,
for some reason, seemed to give Emma pain. Fanny made no professions at
all, only coldly nodding a "how-d'ye-do," without appearing to notice
that Emma wished to shake hands. The Misses Sliver were cordial enough,
but too sentimental for the occasion; Miss Susan, using the language of
some novel she had read, said, she hoped to find in Emma a "kindred
spirit;" at which remark Fanny laughed outright, saying she hoped that
"Sliver Crook" and "Snag Orchard" would not become etherialized.

"I cannot talk in that way," thought Mary; "so I will go by myself, and
pick berries, leaving Miss Lindsay with them." Mary felt, however, that
she should like to be somewhere near Emma; so she only withdrew a
little way, sitting down where she could see her through the bushes.
Alice chattered away very freely for a time, and then wandered off in
pursuit of Fanny, who, from the first, had not addressed a single word
to Emma. But the Misses Sliver kept near her, and seemed to be making
themselves very agreeable. Mary heard them mention at least a dozen
books, of which she had not heard even the titles before, and she was
glad for having left Emma with those who could talk of such matters.
She watched her though, as she bent over the blueberry bushes, and