He was to be repressed immediately. Sirena looked at her mother.
“He wants to be funny, Sirena,” said her mother, soothingly.
“Then he isn’t funny; he’s never funny,” said Sirena, drawing herself up with dignity.
“Totty Belmont says you’re the teasenest, hatefulest boy she knows! So there,” remarked Sirena.
“Oh, ho! I don’t wonder the doll is scared. Why don’t you treat that pretty creature with some consideration? Dragging her over the carpet, and spoiling her pretty dress! Now you’ll see, just as soon as she comes to me, because I’m good-looking and nice, she’ll put her eyes down and smile at me as lovely as ever.”
He took the doll and jumped it up and down in the air, dancing about and singing, “Tra-la.”
As sure as the world! Down came the eyes, and Adalina was her charming self again.
“Now you see,” said Rob, “if you want people to be good to you and love you, you must not be rude and ill-natured yourself. This doll is French, and particular, and she just won’t look at cross little girls; so there!”
“I think,” said her mamma, “that Sirena will not get so angry with her doll again. She looks as if she were ashamed of it now. However disagreeable we may think people are, it’s best to watch ourselves, lest in finding fault with them, we fall into the same errors.”
