"It's confoundedly hot!" said Rufus at length very expressively.

His brother seemed amused.

"What are you laughing at?" said Rufus a little sharply.

"Nothing — I was thinking you had been in the shade lately.
We've got 'most enough, I guess."

"Shade! — I wish there was such a thing. This is a pretty place though, if it wasn't August, — and if one was doing anything but sitting on a rock fishing."

"Isn't it better than Asphodel?" said Winthrop.

"Asphodel! — When are you going to get away from here,
Winthrop?"

"I don't know."

"Has anything been done about it?"

"No."