She was reading Virgil.

For a quarter of an hour it cost her a repetition of efforts to fix her attention, but her resolve was at length successful.

Then Egremont came in.
'Do I disturb you ?' he said, noticing her studious attitude.
'You can give me a little help, if you will.

I can't make out that line.' She gave him one copy and herself opened another.

It led to their reading some fifty lines together.
'Oh, why have we girls to get our knowledge so late and with such labour!' Annabel exclaimed at length.