Willie could not stop; and his mother shook him. This was too much for his dignity, and he bawled with open mouth.
"You shall stay at home from meeting!" muttered Mrs. Royden. "Take off his collar, Hepsy!"
"She shan't!" screamed Willie, throwing himself on the defensive. "I'll bite her!"
"Come, come!" said Mr. Royden; "Willie is going to be a good boy, and go to meeting like a man."
"He shall go into the closet, and stay there one hour!" exclaimed his mother, snatching him up roughly.
Willie met with a providential escape. While he was kicking and screaming in his mother's arms, the noise of a dire disaster filled the kitchen, and contributed to drown his cries.
Georgie, reaching up to the water-pail which stood on the sink-shelf, to get a dipper-full of drink, had somehow pulled it over. Its entire contents spouted upon his face, his bosom, his fresh collar and nice clothes, and the pail came with him to the floor. After the shock, and the jar, and a little gasping, he began to shriek. Mrs. Royden dropped Willie, and ran to the rescue. It was well for the drenched boy that his father arrived first at the spot, and lifted him up. Hepsy was terrified; but Sam, who had hobbled to the door, to tell Mr. Royden that the team was ready, laughed till he was too weak to stand.
Mrs. Royden, incensed by the lad's insolence, made a rapid dash at him; but Sam dodged, and rolled down the steps. Willie, diverted from his own woes by the mischance which had befallen his brother, crept into a corner in the sitting-room, where he hid away from his mother's wrath.
How the storm would have ended it is impossible to say, had not Father Brighthopes made his appearance, serene and glowing from his morning devotions.
"Ah! what has happened to my little friend?" he cried, as Mr. Royden held Georgie up to let him drip.