"And who is Stephen?" said Frank.
"Oh! I am sure, I don't know," replied Dora; "only an old sort of servant of grandpapa's, who always has the gout. He was steward, I believe, once. I never trouble my head much about him; but Amy talks a good deal of him."
"And what makes you go and see him, then?" said Frank.
"Nothing at all, but because I wanted something to do, and Amy and
Miss Morton were gone, and I could not bear staying at home with Miss
Cunningham."
"How you sigh! Dora," said Frank; "and how grave you look. I don't think you have laughed heartily once since I came home."
"There is nothing to make one laugh that I can see," said Dora, "in this gloomy old place, and the dull, cold weather."
"We were never dull at Wayland," replied Frank; "and the weather was much worse there last winter than it is now."
"Well, I don't know what it is," said Dora; "but everybody is grown so cross here, there is no bearing it; and it is not at all like Christmas time."
"Wait till Monday," answered Frank; "we shall be merry enough then; the young Dornfords are coming here quite early, that we may have some skating on the lake."
"Young Dornfords, indeed!" exclaimed Dora; "what good will that be to me? I shall not skate."