And I would smile, though that horrible
old painted woman boxed my ears. She is horrible, mamma. You think so
yourself, Theo! Own, now, you think so yourself! You said so last
night, and acted her coming in on her crutch, and grinning round to the
company."

"I mayn't like her," said Theo, turning very red. "But there is no
reason why I should call Harry's aunt names before Harry's face."

"You provoking thing; you are always right!" cries Hetty, "and that's
what makes me so angry. Indeed, Harry, it was very wrong of me to make
rude remarks about any of your relations."

"I don't care about the others, Hetty; but it seems hard that this one
should turn upon me. I had got to be very fond of her; and you see, it
makes me mad, somehow, when people I'm very fond of turn away from me,
or act unkind to me."

"Suppose George were to do so?" asks Hetty. You see, it was George and
Hetty, and Theo and Harry, amongst them now.

"You are very clever and very lively, and you may suppose a number of
things; but not that, Hetty, if you please," cried Harry, standing up
and looking very resolute and angry. "You don't know my brother as
I know him--or you wouldn't take--such a--liberty as to suppose--my
brother George could do anything unkind or unworthy!" Mr. Harry was
quite in a flush as he spoke.

Hetty turned very white. Then she looked up at Harry, and then she did
not say a single word.

Then Harry said, in his simple way, before taking leave, "I'm very
sorry, and I beg your pardon, Hetty, if I said anything rough, or that
seemed unkind; but I always fight up if anybody says anything against
George."

Hetty did not answer a word out of her pale lips, but gave him her hand,
and dropped a prim little curtsey.

When she and Theo were together at night, making curl-paper confidences,
"Oh!" said Hetty, "I thought it would be so happy to see him every day,
and was so glad when papa said we were to stay in London! And now I do
see him, you see, I go on offending him. I can't help offending him;
and I know he is not clever, Theo. But oh! isn't he good, and kind, and
brave? Didn't he look handsome when he was angry?"

"You silly little thing, you are always trying to make him look
handsome," Theo replied.

It was Theo and Hetty, and Harry and George, among these young people,
then; and I dare say the reason why General Lambert chose to apply the
monosyllable "Bo" to the mother of his daughters, was as a rebuke to
that good w