"O mamma, it was my fault," she said, while the tears stood in her eyes; "I know Herbert was just in fun; I daresay he would not have done it any harm if I had trusted it to him. He has often said it was the sight of my frightened face that made him wish to go on; for it looks so funny to see me so frightened, he says, about such a trifle."
"That may be all very true, dear," said her mamma, "but I do not like to see Herbert giving way to such a disposition. It has grieved both papa and me many a time to see our boy growing up with that constant wish to tease and torment any helpless creature he meets, more especially his own sister. We sent him to school to see if it would do him good; but I fear, if it has checked him it has not cured him. I should like to see my boy grow up manly and courageous; for it is only a cowardly disposition that tries to tease a little girl or torment a dumb animal."
Still Caroline could not help being sorry for Herbert, and when she saw him looking, as she fancied, very dull during dinner, she slipped away after him, thinking that he must be very unhappy, though all the time he was just indulging himself in a fit of the sulks. At first he was inclined to treat Caroline's advances to friendship in a surly manner, but a glance at her earnest, gentle eyes made him feel ashamed of himself; and being at the same time tired of his solitude, he at length consented to play a game at bagatelle. He even went so far as to say, "Well, after all Carry, you are a good little thing; I do annoy you terribly, which is not fair, because you are so forgiving. Well, to make up for it, I'll be very kind to you to-morrow."
When Herbert came to bid his mamma good-night in her room, he had quite forgotten that she had been angry with him during the day. He was very much surprised, therefore, when, instead of kissing him, she pushed him back from her knee, saying, "I fear I have no good-night kiss for you, my boy, at present."
"Why, mamma, what have I done?" said Herbert, the tears starting to his eyes, for he knew that if his mamma refused to kiss him she must indeed be angry.
"You surely have not forgotten how displeased I was with you this forenoon for teasing your sister!" said Mrs. Ashcroft in a tone of severity.
"But, mamma, Carry has forgotten it now; and I told her I was sorry," said Herbert eagerly. "I'm sure all I did to her couldn't hurt her so very much."
HERBERT AND HIS MAMMA.
"Perhaps not, my son," said Mrs. Ashcroft; "but you remember the reason why we sent you away to school was to see if this bad habit of teasing could be cured. If I had thought you were to begin the very first day you were at home, I should have allowed you to stay at school during the holidays also."