"But why should you?" pleaded Madge. "You don't like squashing wasps, and we do."
"That's just the reason I am going to do it myself," said Miss Thompson resolutely. "Now go back to the table and find out the place in your books."
"You are very unkind. Yes, very unkind," grumbled the twins; but they did not dare to flatly disobey, any more than Madge, who left the window scowling horribly, and expressing an audible hope that everybody who liked wasps should be stung by wasps.
It was particularly annoying that Miss Thompson took no notice of this amiable speech, but after crushing the wasp with as little interest as she would have buttoned a glove, returned quietly to her seat, and inquired:
"What was the most important event in the reign of Henry the Eighth?" precisely as if nothing had happened.
"Oh, I know the answer to that!" exclaimed John scornfully. "I've known that since I was a baby!"
"Well then, why do you require me to repeat the question so many times?" very naturally observed Miss Thompson. "Do give me a sensible answer, and then I can pass on to something that you do not know so well."
"Oh, of course, it was about all his wives having their heads cut off—"
"Not all!" interrupted Betty. "Just let me say them! Catherine of Arragon was divorced, Anne Boleyn had—"
"Stop!" cried Miss Thompson. "You are both wrong."