'Oh, Barbara,' the boy protested, 'he's awfully nice if you only knew him. He can make you laugh. Do let us play with you. He wants to, and he won't be rough.'
'Do,' pleaded the clown, 'I'll behave so pretty!'
'Well,' said Barbara, 'mind you do, then, or you shan't stop.'
And for a little while he did behave himself. Tommy showed him his new soldiers, and he seemed quite interested; and then he had a ride on the rocking horse, and was sorry when it broke down under him; and after that he came suddenly upon a beautiful doll which belonged to the youngest sister.
'Do let me nurse it,' he said, and the little girl gave it up timidly. Of course he nursed it the wrong way up, and at last he forgot, and sat down on it, the head, which was wax, being crushed to pieces!
Tommy was in fits of laughter at the droll face he made as he held out the crushed doll at arm's length, and looked at it with one eye shut, exclaiming, 'Poor thing! what a pity! I do 'ope I 'aven't made its 'ead ache!'
But the two little girls were crying bitterly in one another's arms, and Barbara turned on the clown with tremendous indignation.
'You did it on purpose, you know you did!' she said.
'Go away, little girl; don't talk to me!' said the clown, putting Tommy in front of him.