"I wish I hadn't agreed to come here," he said: "I don't think much of such strict rules. My father and mother are not so notional."
Mrs. Le Bras made no reply: she seemed to be very much absorbed in her sewing. Felix got into a rocking-chair on his knees, and began rocking it violently back and forth. Johnny wished he could get up to his sky-room. Sue spread a newspaper on the floor, and, sitting down before it, began to cut a fine lady out of a colored fashion-plate, for a doll. Johnny took one of his books down, and turned over the pages mechanically; it was not the book he wanted, as that was in the sky-room; and he was afraid, too, that it would not be polite to read while Felix was unoccupied. But if Felix had not been there, he would have sat down with a book, and been happy, or amused himself in some other way.
"This is awful stupid!" said Felix.
"Here's an interesting story: don't you want to read it?" suggested Johnny. "It's about a family of children who lived up in Iceland."
"No! I hate books!" replied Felix: "they're awful stupid things. I never read if I can help it. I have more than all the reading I want at school; and I don't go to school when I don't want to, either."
Mrs. Le Bras smiled to herself.
"How often do you go to school, Felix?" she inquired.
"Two or three times a week. I go when I can't think of any thing else to do."
"Then, as you can't think of any thing else to do this evening, why not read a little while? that will help to pass away the time."
"No! I don't want to read! what do I care about folks in Iceland? It's summer now, and I want to know what folks are doing in summer."