“But he didn’t use bad words!” said Caroline, and she met a look of comfortable response.
“Let us hear, John,” said his mother, now the most agitated. “I can’t believe that Rob would so ill-treat a little fellow like Armie, even if he did lose his temper for a moment. Was Armine impertinent?”
“Well, rather,” said John. “He wouldn’t do Rob’s French exercise.” And then—as the ladies cried out, he added—“O yes, he knows ever so much more French than Rob, and now Bobus is gone Rob could not get anyone else.”
“Bobus?”
“O yes, Bobus would do anybody’s exercises at a penny for Latin, two for French, and three for Greek,” said John, not aware of the shock he gave.
“And Armine would not?” said his mother. “Was that it?”
“Not only that,” said John; “but the little beggar must needs up and say he would not help to act a falsehood, and you know nobody could stand that.”
Caroline understood the gravity of such an offence better than Ellen did, for that good lady had never had much in common with her boys after they outgrew the nursery. She answered, “Armine was quite right.”
“So much the worse for him, I fear,” said Caroline.
“Yes,” said John, “it would have been all very well to give him a cuff and tell him to mind his own business.”