"Why do you want to know?" demanded Harry, looking at her suspiciously.
Flora's lips again framed "nothing," but no sound came, for like a flash she thought, "If I say that, he will say, 'I thought so,' as he did before. No, I will give a reason," so she said:
"You seemed to be so interested in it, I thought it must be very entertaining."
"So it is," replied Harry, throwing a mischievous glance over to the corner at Alec, where he sat thoroughly engrossed in his favorite pastime of whittling, and in serene thoughtlessness allowing the clippings to fall according to their own sweet will.
Harry was confident that Flora intended to "read him a lecture upon trashy literature," as he afterward privately told Alec. He replied:
"It is interesting, Flo, about murders, and bears, cut-throats and burglars, and other horrors that would make you nervous to read about."
"I am not made nervous so easily as you may think, my dear boy," retorted Flora, condescendingly, and at the same time glancing cautiously at Harry, to see what effect this would have.
She had determined to try and gain an influence over her brothers, and felt that to show an interest in their occupations would be a good beginning. She realized the task she thus imposed on herself, but she meant to do her best, for this was another "whatsoever."
Harry was for a moment too much surprised to speak. Then he said, saucily:
"Ah, indeed! Well, let me read some to you."