Miss Slowboy , in the meantime , who had a mechanical power of reproducing scraps of current conversation for the delectation of the baby , with all the sense struck out of them , and all the nouns changed into the plural number , inquired aloud of that young creature , Was it Gruffs and Tackletons the toymakers then , and Would it call at Pastrycooks for wedding-cakes , and Did its mothers know the boxes when its fathers brought them home ; and so on . `` And that is really to come about ! '' said Dot . `` Why , she and I were girls at school together , John . '' He might have been thinking of her , or nearly thinking of her , perhaps , as she was in that same school-time . He looked upon her with a thoughtful pleasure , but he made no answer . `` And he 's as old ! As unlike her ! -- Why , how many years older than you is Gruff and Tackleton , John ? '' `` How many more cups of tea shall I drink to-night , at one sitting , than Gruff and Tackleton ever took in four , I wonder ? '' replied John good-humouredly , as he drew a chair to the round table , and began at the cold ham . `` As to eating , I eat but little ; but that little I enjoy , Dot . '' Even this , his usual sentiment at meal-times , one of his innocent delusions -LRB- for his appetite was always obstinate , and flatly contradicted him -RRB- , awoke no smile in the face of his little wife , who stood among the parcels , pushing the cake-box slowly from her with her foot , and never once looked , though her eyes were cast down too , upon the dainty shoe she generally was so mindful of . Absorbed in thought , she stood there , heedless alike of the tea and John -LRB- although he called to her and rapped the table with his knife to startle her -RRB- , until he rose and touched her on the arm ; when she looked at him for a moment , and hurried to her place behind the tea-board , laughing at her negligence . But not as she had laughed before . The manner and the music were quite changed . The Cricket , too , had stopped . Somehow , the room was not so cheerful as it had been . Nothing like it . `` So , these are all the parcels , are they , John ? ''
she said , breaking a long silence , which the honest Carrier had devoted to the practical illustration of one part XXXXX his favourite sentiment -- certainly enjoying what he ate , if it could n't be admitted that he ate but little .
among at for from in like of to until upon