.
Tommy must have a smack when he goes bye-bye.' _Tommy_.--`Booh, hoo,
how bow, yow, wow, oh my! I'll tell my ma!'"
"Bring up that paper, Wheatfield," said Mr Stratton.
Wally made a wild grab at Ashby's exercise, and was proceeding to take
it up when the master stopped him.
"Not that; the other, Wheatfield. Bring it immediately."
Whereupon Wally with shame had to rejoice Ashby's heart by restoring his
_exercise_, and take up in its place the fancy portrait.
Mr Stratton gazed attentively and critically at this work of art.
"Not at all well done, Wheatfield," said he. "Sit down at my table here
and draw me thirty copies of it before you leave this room. Next boy,
go on."
Wally confessed, in later life, that of all the impositions he had had
in the course of his chequered career, none had been more abominable and
wearisome than this. Oh, how he got to detest that governess and her
ward, and how sickening their talk became before the task was half over!
He sat in that room nearly three hours by the clock, groaning over this
task, and when at last he went in search of Mr Stratton with the
original and thirty copies in his hand, he felt as limp and flabby,
bodily and mentally, as he had ever done in his life.
Mr Stratton, who was having tea in his own room, examined each picture
in turn, and rejected two as not fair copies of the original.
"Do these two again--here," said he.
Wally meekly obeyed. He had not a kick left in him.
"That's better," said the young master when they were done. "Now sit
down and have some tea."
It was a solemn meal. Mr Stratton went quietly on with his meal,
looking up now and then to see that his guest was supplied with bread
and butter and cake and biscuits. Wally was equally silent. He felt
sore against the master, but he liked his cake--and the tea was "tip-
top."
The ceremony came to an end about the same time as the cake, and then
Mr Stratton said, pointing to the papers--
"You can put them in the fire now, Wheatfield."
Wally obeyed with grim satisfaction.
"Thanks. You can go now. You must come another day and bring your
friends. Good-bye," and he shook hands.
"I wonder if the chap's all there," said Wally to himself as he limped
over to his quarters. "He forgot to jaw me. Wonder if I ought to have
reminded him? Wonder who he gets his cake from? I wouldn't care for
many more impots like that. It was pretty civil of him asking me to
tea,
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