Indeed, he rather outdid himself on this occasion, as though determined to make a good showing before his newly-found relatives, and thus enlist their full-fledged sympathy in the start.
Matilda seemed fairly shocked as he strained, and writhed, and almost burst a blood vessel with his efforts.

Thad stood and watched, his lip curling as though he could no longer be deceived.

To him the whole thing was now very much in the nature of a fraud, a delusion, and a snare.

He did not doubt the identity of Brother Lu, but as to the genuine nature of his malady, that was another question entirely, and Thad could not be impressed again.

He fully believed the man was faking sickness just to gain the sympathy of these simple people, and work out the game he had in view, which Thad was convinced was to make a snug nest for himself during the rest of the summer, perhaps for all time.
"Let's be going along, Hugh," he said, as he wheeled on his chum, the light of honest indignation glowing in his eyes; "this thing is making me feel sick, and I can't stand much more of it!" Hugh himself was agreeable.