"How is she?" he said, as they entered.
"I think she's risin' a bit," said William.
******
"What did you say he did this morning?" said Great-Aunt Jane to the nurse.
"He got up early," said the nurse, "and found a mouse in the mousetrap. He put it into a cardboard box and almost covered the creature in cheese, and made holes in the lid and put it into his pocket. He wanted to keep it. Then the thing gnawed its way out at breakfast and stampeded the whole table. It ran over Francis, and he yelled, and his father nearly fainted. William was much annoyed. He said he'd meant to teach it tricks."
"It was yesterday, wasn't it," said Great-Aunt Jane, "that he dared Fatty to walk on the edge of the rain tub, and he overbalanced and fell in?"
"Yes—and Fatty got in a temper and bit him, and they fought and rolled down the bank together into the pond."
"And Tuesday——"
"Tuesday he brought the scarecrow in from the field in the evening and put it in front of the fire where his uncle usually stands, and it was rather dark, and they hadn't lit up yet, and his aunt came in and talked to it for quite a long time before she discovered. She's rather short-sighted, you know."
"There was a terrible scuffle going on somewhere last night," said Great-Aunt Jane eagerly.