ten till
eleven, and from half-past three till four. I have done so now for
many years."

Beth sat with her spoon suspended half-way up to her mouth, drinking
in these words of wisdom. "And when will you be able to play?" she
asked.

Uncle James fixed his large, light, ineffectual eyes upon her; but, as
usual, this gaze direct only excited Beth's interest, and she returned
it unabashed in simple expectation of what was to follow. So Uncle
James gave in, and to cover his retreat he said: "Culture. Cultivate
the mind. There is nothing that elevates the mind like general
cultivation. It is cultivation that makes us great, good, and
generous."

"Then, I suppose, when your mind is cultivated, Uncle James, you will
give mamma more money," Beth burst out hopefully.

Uncle James blinked his eyes several times running, rapidly, as if
something had gone wrong with them.

"Beth, you are talking too much; go to your room _at once_, and stay
there for a punishment," her mother exclaimed nervously.

Beth, innocent of any intent to offend, looked surprised, put down her
spoon deliberately, got off her chair, took up her plate of pudding,
and was making off with it. As she was passing Uncle James, however,
he stretched out his big hand suddenly, and snatched the plate from
her; but Beth in an instant doubled her little fist, and struck the
plate from underneath, the concussion scattering the pudding all over
the front of Uncle James.

In the confusion which followed, Beth made her escape to the kitchen,
where she was already popular.

"I say, cook," she coaxed, "give me something good to eat. My
pudding's got upset all over Uncle James."

The cook sat down suddenly, and twinkled a glance of intelligence at
Horner, the old coachman, who happened to be in the kitchen.

"Give me a cheesecake--I won't tell," Beth pleaded.

"That's doubtful, I should think," Horner said aside to the cook.

"Oh, bless you, she never do, not she!" cook answered, and then she
fetched Beth a big cheesecake from a secret store. Beth took it
smiling, and retired to the brown bedroom, where she was left in
solitary confinement until Uncle James drove out with mamma in Aunt
Grace Mary's pony-carriage to pay a call in the afternoon. When they
had gone, Aunt Grace Mary peeped in at Beth, and said, with an
unconvincing affectation of anger: "Beth, you are a naughty little
girl, and deserve to be punished. Say you're sorry. Then you shall
come to my r