"How nice!" he exclaimed, with more enthusiasm. "May I have some red jam for my tea to-day?"
"If you are a good boy, and read right on to the end of the lesson without stopping," she replied. Thus encouraged, Chris with an effort toiled to the conclusion without any further pauses.
"'By, by! Wee fly!' Now must I do my sums?" he asked all in a breath as he came to the end.
"Yes; I think you had better," Granny replied, holding the slate-pencil between her fingers and looking meditatively at the slate. "I will write you out one."
"Sometimes Briggs doesn't write horrid sums on the slate; sometimes she asks me sums she makes up out of her head," he said, insinuatingly. "I like that better, it is much, much nicer."
"Sometimes Briggs asks you sums out of her head, does she?" Granny repeated, putting down the slate-pencil. "Well, now, what shall I ask you?"
"Something about Jack," he said, getting off her knee and sitting on the ground beside the dog. "He's such a naughty, lazy, little doggie; he's done no lessons at all. Now, listen, Jackie, and do a sum with me. If Granny asks me something about you, you must think just as much as me. Mustn't he, Granny?"
"Of course, of course," she replied absently. "I'm to ask you something about Jack, my darling. Let me see, what shall it be?"
She looked at Jack for a moment as she spoke, who blinked back at her inquiringly, as if to ask, "What are you all talking so much about me for?"
Then with a look of inspiration: