While she was engaged in filling the pouch, Zack, standing at
the supper-table, drummed on the floor with his foot to attract her
attention, and interrogatively held up a decanter of wine and a glass.
She started as the sound struck on her delicate nerves; and, looking at
young Thorpe directly, signed that she did not wish for any wine. The
sudden movement of her body thus occasioned, shook off her lap a little
mother-of-pearl bodkin case, which lay more than half out of one of the
pockets of her apron. The bodkin case rolled under the stool, without
her seeing it, for she was looking towards the supper-table: without
being observed by Mat, for his eyes were following the direction of
her's: without being heard by Mr. Blyth, for Zack was, as usual,
chattering and making a noise.
When she had put two other little toys that remained in her pockets
into the pouch, she drew the mouth of it tight, passed the loops of the
loose thongs that fastened it, over one of her arms, and then, rising
to her feet, pointed to it, and looked at Mat with a very significant
nod. The action expressed the idea she wished to communicate, plainly
enough:--"See," it seemed to say, "see what a pretty work-bag I can
make of your tobacco-pouch!"
But Mat, to all appearance, was not able to find out the meaning of one
of her gestures, easy as they were to interpret.
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