Margaret poured out the tea in silence, trying to think of something agreeable to say; but her thoughts made answer something like Daniel O'Rourke, when the man-in-the moon asked him to get off his reaping-hook. "The more you ax us, the more we won't stir." The more she tried to think of something--anything besides the danger to which Frederick would be exposed--the more closely her imagination clung to the unfortunate idea presented to her. 
Margaret poured out the tea in silence, trying to think of something agreeable to say; but the more she tried to think of something besides the danger to which Frederick would be exposed, the more her imagination clung to the unfortunate idea. 