"I heard you once, Lu Abbott, and it was in church too!"
"O, then 'twas an accident; you must scuse accidents. And now," added Lucy, giving a final touch to her gloves, "I want you to notice how I act, Flaxie Frizzle, and do just the same; for my mother has seen the President and yours hasn't."
"Well, my mamma's seen an elephant," exclaimed Flaxie, with spirit; "and she has two silk dresses and a smelling-bottle."
"Poh! my cousin Gussie's got a gold watch, and some nightly blue sirreup. Uncle William gives her lots of things; but I shouldn't think of telling o' that! Now, do you know what to do when anybody induces you to strangers?"
"What you s'pose?" replied Flaxie, tartly. "I speak up and say 'Yes'm.'"
Lucy laughed, as if she were looking down, down from a great hight upon her little cousin.
"And shake hands, too," added Flaxie, quickly, for fear she had made a mistake.
"No, you give three fingers, not your hand. Just as if you were touching a toad. And you raise your eyebrows up,—this way,—and quirk your mouth,—so,—and nod your head.
"'How d'ye do, Miss Dovey Sparrow? It's a charr-rming day. Are they all well at Boston?' You'll see how I'll do it, Flaxie! Then I shall take out my hang-verchief and shake it, so the sniff of the nightly blue sirreup will waft all round the room.—O, I've seen 'em!
"Then I shall wipe my nose—this way—and sit down. I've seen young ladies do it a great many times."