carry in her hand, did not hold fast round his neck, for
just as they were in the middle of the stream, his foot slipped, he
staggered, fell, and down went brother and sister at once into the pool.
Both scrambled up in a moment, and neither had suffered more injury
than being completely bathed in the water. With streaming hair and
dripping garments they reached the bank; but when Isabel saw that the
ribbons of her new straw bonnet were spoiled, she began to cry and
accuse her brother of having thrown her down on purpose, which so
provoked the young gentleman, that he said it was all owing to her
clumsiness, and at the same time he shook the sleeves of his jacket,
from which he was wringing the wet, in her face. Isabel's anger
increasing at this, she rudely gave her brother a severe box on the ear.
A scuffle now ensued, which caused a second tumble, and this fall being
on the rough gravel, Isabel's face was scratched by the sharp pebbles,
and Arnold's elbow sadly cut by a large flint stone.
The smart of these wounds cooled their passions; they thought no more
of fighting, and were wiping away the blood, and looking with grief and
dismay at their wet, dirty clothes, when a servant came up who had been
sent in pursuit of them.
Mr. Daleham was not far behind. He had been told that Arnold and Isabel
were gone before him, and was much alarmed at not finding them in the
field-path. He had therefore returned the same way to search for them;
he ordered the servant to conduct them home, and told them that their
silly impatience had spoiled their pleasure, as it was not possible for
them now to appear at Morton Park.
Mr. Daleham then hastened on, for fear Mr. Morton's dinner should wait
for him; and Arnold and Isabel, forlorn, wet, draggled, and dirty, were
led back to their own house. They passed a dismal afternoon, lamenting
their folly and imprudence; and next morning they heard that there were
not only plenty of grapes, melons, peaches, and filberts on Mr. Morton's
table, but that also a very merry party of children were assembled
there, who danced on the lawn till the dusk of evening approached, and
then played at blindman's buff in the great hall.
The Deaf and Dumb Boy
'Now, my dear boy and girl,' said their aunt to Charles and Helen
Laurie, 'you are come to stay a whole fortnight with me, and we must
take care not to mis-spend our time, for not all the art of man can
restore one day that is lost. You, C
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