"That's all you know about it, then!" cried Beth, better informed. "Women do write books, and girls too. Jane Austen wrote books, and Maria Edgeworth wrote books, and Fanny Burney wrote a book when she was only seventeen, called 'Evelina' and all the great men read it."
"Oh!" said Sammy, jeering, "so you're as clever as they are, I suppose!"
Sammy was up in the air as he spoke; the next moment he came down bump on the ground.
"There," said Beth, "that'll teach you. You be rude again if you dare."
"I'll not come near you again, spit-cat," cried Sammy, picking himself up.
"I know you won't," Beth rejoined. "You daren't. You're afraid."
"Who's afraid?" said Sammy, blustering.
"Sammy Lee," said Beth. "Oh, Sammy Lee's afraid of me, riding the see-saw under the tree."
"I say, Beth," said Sammy, much impressed, "did you make that yourself?"
"Make what myself? Make you afraid? Yes, I did."