It labored just as hard if not harder than ever.
Presently Bressant walked round to the opposite side of the basin, shook himself and stamped his feet, like one overcoming a feeling of drowsiness, and then, stooping down, put his hand in the water and brought some up to his forehead.

It passed through Cornelia's mind that she had read in her "Natural Philosophy," at school, that water was a good conductor of electricity, but she could not establish any clear connection between her remembrance of this fact and Bressant's action.
The results of thoughts often present themselves to us when the processes remain invisible.
"What an absurd little fountain!" observed he, coming round again to Cornelia, and looking down upon her with a smile that seemed to call for a responsive one from her.

"What is the use of it ?" "Oh, we're used to it, you know; and then that little sound it makes is pleasant to listen to." "Is it ?" said Bressant, apparently struck by the idea.

"I should like to hear it.

'A pleasant sound!' I never thought of a sound being pleasant." "Poor fellow!" thought Cornelia again, with a strong impulse of compassion and kindliness.