"I couldn't do without it," he said.
"All right then," I said wearily, "but I want you to realise that your punishments are making Geordie a cripple for life."
* * * * *
I went down and had a talk with Geordie's father. He was not very pleasant about it; indeed he was almost unpleasant.
"There's nothing wrong wi' the laddie," he said aggressively. "He's a wee bit lassie-like and he has no pluck."
Here Geordie entered the kitchen, and his father turned on him harshly.
"Started to yer lessons yet?" he demanded.
Geordie muttered something about having had to feed his rabbits.
"I'll rabbit ye! Get yer books oot this minute!" and Geordie crept to a corner and rummaged among some old clothes for his school-bag.
I tried to be as amiable as I could, and avoided controversy. I soon saw that father and mother were not pulling well together, and I suspected that the father's harshness to Geordie was often a weapon to wound the fond mother. I saw that nothing I could say would do any good, and I took my departure.