Nell and Fiona could not keep themselves from laughing. But Elizabeth did 
not convey the impression of being in a very lighthearted mood. The old book 
had scarcely come to rest on the floor before Elizabeth had run over to it and 
begun kicking at it. With each blow a furious grunt escaped from her gorge. The 
book absorbed this violence impassively, driving Elizabeth into a higher rage; 
she dropped to her knees, flung the cover open, and began to rip out pages by 
the fistful.