"Claudia, Claudia, you are very naughty to disobey your aunt," said the gentleman gravely.
The little lady lifted her jetty eyebrows in simple surprise.
"'Naughty,' uncle! How can you say such things to me? Mamma never did; and papa never does! Pray do not say such things again to me, uncle! I have not been used to hear them."
The gentleman shrugged his shoulders, and turned to Ishmael, saying:
"I am more grieved than angry, my boy, to see you stand convicted of theft and falsehood."
"I was never guilty of either in my life, sir," said Ishmael.
"He was! he was! He stole the things, and then told stories about it, and tried to lay it on us! But we can prove it was himself! We are two witnesses against one! two genteel witnesses against one low one! We are gentleman's sons; and who is he? He's a thief! He stole the things, didn't he, Ben?" questioned Master Alfred.
Ben turned away.
"And we thrashed him well for it, didn't we, Ben?"
"Yes," said Ben.