ntlessly.

"Never burst into rooms, children," she said coldly. "One expects
little of a boy, but a _girl_ should try to appear a Young Lady. Come
and sit by me, Lucille. What did you come in for--or rather for what
did you burst in?"

"We came to play with the Haddock," volunteered Dam.

"Very kind and thoughtful of you, I am sure," commented Miss Smellie
sourly. "Most obliging and benevolent," and, with a sudden change to
righteous anger and bitterness, "Why don't you speak the truth?"

"I am speaking the truth, Miss--er--Smellie," replied the boy. "We did
come to play with the dear little Haddock--like one plays with a
football or a frog. I didn't say we came for Haddock's _good_."

"We needed the Haddock, you see, Miss Smellie," confirmed Lucille.

"How many times am I to remind you that Haddon Berners' name _is_
Haddon, Lucille," inquired Miss Smellie. "Why must you always prefer
vulgarity? One expects vulgarity from a boy--but a girl should try to
appear a Young Lady."

With an eye on Dam, Lucille protruded a very red tongue at surprising
length, turned one eye far inward toward her nose, wrinkled that
member incredibly, corrugated her forehead grievously, and elongated
her mouth disastrously. The resultant expression of countenance
admirably expressed the general juvenile view of Miss Smellie and all
her works.

Spurred to honourable emulation, the boy strove to excel. Using both
hands for the elongation of his eyes, the extension of his mouth, and
the depression of his ears, he turned upon the Haddock so horrible a
mask that the stricken child burst into a howl, if not into actual
tears.

"What's the matter, Haddon?" demanded Miss Smellie, looking up with
quick suspicion.

"Dam made a _fathe_ at me," whimpered the smitten one.

"Say 'made a grimace' not 'made a face,'" corrected Miss Smellie.
"Only God can make _faces_."

Dam exploded.

"At what are you laughing, Damocles?" she asked sternly.

"Nothing, Miss Smellie. What you said sounded rather funny and a
little irrevilent or is it irrembrant?"

"Damocles! Should _I_ be likely to say anything Irreverent? Should _I_
ever dream of Irreverence? What _can_ you mean? And never let me see
you make faces again."

"I didn't let you see me, Miss Smellie, and only God can make faces--"

"Leave the room at once, Sir, I shall report your impudence to your
great-uncle," hissed Miss Smellie, rising in wrath--and the bad
abandoned boy had attained his