s anything wrong.
And they told him no, on their honor.

[Illustration: "'LITTLE BEASTS,' SAID DICK"]

The next morning Oswald awoke early. The refreshing beams of the morning
sun shone on his narrow, white bed and on the sleeping forms of his dear
little brothers, and Denny, who had got the pillow on top of his head
and was snoring like a kettle when it sings. Oswald could not remember
at first what was the matter with him, and then he remembered the
Wouldbegoods, and wished he hadn't. He felt at first as if there was
nothing you could do, and even hesitated to buzz a pillow at Denny's
head. But he soon saw that this could not be. So he chucked his boot and
caught Denny right in the waistcoat part, and thus the day began more
brightly than he had expected.

Oswald had not done anything out of the way good the night before,
except that when no one was looking he polished the brass candlestick in
the girls' bedroom with one of his socks. And he might just as well have
let it alone, for the servants cleaned it again with the other things in
the morning, and he could never find the sock afterwards. There were two
servants. One of them had to be called Mrs. Pettigrew instead of Jane
and Eliza like others. She was cook and managed things.

After breakfast Albert's uncle said:

"I now seek the retirement of my study. At your peril violate my privacy
before 1.30 sharp. Nothing short of bloodshed will warrant the
intrusion, and nothing short of man--or rather boy--slaughter shall
avenge it."

So we knew he wanted to be quiet, and the girls decided that we ought to
play out of doors so as not to disturb him; we should have played out of
doors anyhow on a jolly fine day like that.

But as we were going out Dicky said to Oswald:

"I say, come along here a minute, will you?"

So Oswald came along, and Dicky took him into the other parlor and shut
the door, and Oswald said:

"Well, spit it out: what is it?" He knows that is vulgar, and he would
not have said it to any one but his own brother.

Dicky said:

"It's a pretty fair nuisance. I told you how it would be."

And Oswald was patient with him, and said:

"What is? Don't be all day about it."

Dicky fidgeted about a bit, and then he said:

"Well, I did as I said. I looked about for something useful to do. And
you know that dairy window that wouldn't open--only a little bit like
that? Well, I mended the catch with wire and whipcord and it opened
wide."

"A