But by this time Mrs.
Peterkin was considering the carters as natural enemies, and dared
not trust them; besides, the books ought all to be dusted. So she
was now holding one of the volumes of Agamemnon's
Encyclop?dia, with difficulty, in one hand, while she was dusting
it with the other. Elizabeth Eliza was in dismay. At this moment
four men were bringing down a large chest of drawers from her
father's room, and they called to her to stand out of the way. The
parlors were a scene of confusion. In dusting the books Mrs.
Peterkin neglected to restore them to the careful rows in which
they were left by the men, and they lay in hopeless masses in
different parts of the room. Elizabeth Eliza sunk in despair upon
the end of a sofa.
"It would have been better to buy the red and blue carpet," said
Solomon John.
"Is not the carpet bought?" exclaimed Mrs. Peterkin. And then they
were obliged to confess they had been unable to decide upon one,
and had come back to consult Mrs. Peterkin.
"What shall we do?" asked Mrs. Peterkin.
Elizabeth Eliza rose from the sofa and went to the door, saying, "I
shall be back in a moment."
Agamemnon slowly passed round the room, collecting the
scattered volumes of his Encyclop?dia. Mr. Peterkin offered a
helping hand to a man lifting a wardrobe.
Elizabeth Eliza soon returned. "I did not like to go and ask her. But
I felt that I must in such an emergency.
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