Ronald accordingly scrambled up the hill again, while the others seated themselves on the dry leaves beneath a noble pine.
“I don’t see what girls want to wear veils for,” said Otis, somewhat petulantly, after they were seated.
“It isn’t necessary for you to know why they wear them, Master Otis,” replied Kate, quite coolly.
“I have no objection to girls’ wearing veils, if they choose to, but I don’t like to see boys wear such things,” said Marcus.
“Why, did you ever see boys wear veils?” inquired Otis, with surprise.
“I have seen boys that I thought acted as if they wore veils over their eyes,” replied Marcus.
“How did they act?” inquired Otis, after a moment’s pause.
“They acted as if they could not see things that were as plain as a pike-staff to other people,” replied Marcus.
Otis seemed to be trying to interpret to himself this enigmatical language, but did not appear inclined to ask any more questions.
“For instance,” added Marcus, after a brief pause, “when you see a boy rude or unkind towards his sister, when there is no provocation, you may conclude that he has a veil or something else over his eyes; for if he could see plainly how such conduct looks to other people’s eyes, he would not indulge in it.”