“Of course, when the knock was heard, they would begin to cry, and say that it was very hard, and that they didn’t want to go to bed, and one went so far once as to add that she wouldn’t go to bed.
“But it was all in vain. The little Victims might as well have attempted to melt a stone wall as those hard-hearted beings who had the charge of them.
“And now, my dears,” observed Aunt Judy, stopping in her account, “this is of all others the exact moment at which you ought to show your sympathy with the sufferers, and groan.”
The little ones groaned accordingly, but in a very feeble manner.
Aunt Judy shook her head.
“That groan is not half hearty enough for such a misery. Don’t you think, if you tried hard, you could groan a little louder?”
They did try, and succeeded a little better, but cast furtive glances at each other immediately after.
“Were the beds very uncomfortable ones, Aunt Judy?” inquired No. 8, in a subdued voice.
“You shall judge for yourself,” was the answer. “They were raised off the floor upon legs, so that no wind from under the door could get at them; and on the flat bottom called the bed-stock, there was placed a thick strong bag called a mattress, which was stuffed with some soft material which made it springy and pleasant to touch or lie down upon. The shape of it was a long square, or what may be called a rectangular parallelogram. I strongly advise you all to learn that word, for it is rather an amusing idea as one steps into bed, to think that one is going to sleep upon a parallelogram.”
Nos. 3 and 4 were here unable to contain themselves, but broke into a peal of laughter. The little ones stared.