Miss Lavinia was shocked. She had hoped the story was making a deep impression, and now, before she could point the moral, before she could show how good must always soar triumphant and evil must ever suffer defeat, Tommy Tregennis, one of her best little boys, had interrupted in a manner that surely proved his thoughts to be very far away.
While Miss Lavinia hesitated, Ruthie’s high-pitched voice broke the silence. “’Tisn’t that giant, Tommy,” she said, “’twas Jack and that giant, but this is David.”
Miss Lavinia’s brow cleared. There was some connexion it seemed between beans and the Scripture story and after all Tommy Tregennis had listened although he had missed the point.
After giving the composition Miss Lavinia went away to put on the potatoes; then there was only time for a short Geography lesson with the little ones before the Guildhall clock struck twelve, and morning school was ended.
“Shoes is too tight,” Tommy complained to Ruthie, as they stood together in the narrow passage, putting on their hats. “They pinches!”
Ruthie sighed. “You do be growin’ brave an’ fast, Tommy,” she replied. “I can’t keep up with ee nohow.”
Tommy drew himself up proudly. “When my head do be so high as the knob on Mammy’s cupboard, then I be a-goin’ to wear long trousers,” he asserted.
Ruthie looked at him still more admiringly, and, as her custom was, slipped her hand into his, and turned towards the door.
But Tommy hesitated. “I be gettin’ a’most too big to hold hands,” he demurred, and, as he spoke, he tried to pull his hand away.
“Don’t ee be so silly,” Ruthie admonished. “’Tisn’t your hands as is growin’. Your shoes is pinchin’ because your feet do be that big; your hands is all right, Tommy.”