"Shall I ask Joseph to put away his cannon and come and play at your game for an hour now, my dear? I will certainly forbid him to fire into your shop."
This did not quite satisfy me. As a matter of fact, Joseph had left his fortress to play with me; and I did not really think he would discharge his cannon at the poulterer's again. But I thought myself hardly used, and I wanted my godmother to think so too, and to scold Joseph. What else I wanted, I did not feel quite sure.
"I wish you would speak to Joseph," I said. "He would attend to you if you told him how selfish and stupid he is."
"My dear, I never offered to complain to Joseph, but I will order him not to molest you, and I will ask him to play with you."
"I'm sure I don't want him to play with me, unless he can play nicely, and invent things for the dolls to say, as Maud Mary would," was my reply; for I was getting thoroughly vexed.
"Then I will tell him that unless he can play your game as you wish it, he had better amuse himself with his own toys. Is there anything else that you want, my dear?"
I could not speak, for I was crying, but I sobbed out that "I missed Maud Mary so."
"Who is Maud Mary, Selina?"
"Maud Mary Ibbetson, my particular friend—my very particular friend," I explained.