“She said so,” said Tom.
“Who is she?”
“Your sister.”
The captain recovered his gravity. He saw that his merriment might encourage Tom in her pranks, and so increase the difficulties his sister was likely to find with her.
“No, I am not angry,” he said, “but I want you very much to improve. You will have a good home here, and I want you to do as well as you can, so that when I get home from my voyage I may find you very much improved. Do you think I shall?”
Tom listened attentively.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
“To learn, as fast as you can, both about work and study. I shall leave directions to have you sent to school. Will you like that?”
“I don’t know,” said Tom. “I’m afraid I’ll be bad, and get licked.”
“Then try not to be bad. But you want to know something when you grow up,—don’t you?”