That was a capital word to end with. No one knew what "anon" meant. It was probably some especially horrible way of writhing.
Romeo Augustus shook with terror. He could hear that clock talking still down stairs.
"Tick-tock—tick-tock.
'Tis nine—o'clock.
Ro-meo—be-low,
Come see—in me
Things drear—ap-pear.
'Tis nine—o'clock.
Tick-tock—tick-tock."
That is what it said.
"How painful it must be to 'writhe anon'!" whispered Romeo Augustus to himself. "I wouldn't care if it was persons—but things!"
For some unknown reason the idea was ghastly to Romeo Augustus.
Now, my little readers, wait a moment before you laugh at him. Hear what this eight-year-old boy did.
Once upon a time Solomon had composed the following somewhat startling proverb, "It is a wise fellow who wrenches forth the serpent's fang." Which dark saying, being interpreted, was, "If you are scared of anything, just trot right up and wrestle with it."
"For," continued Solomon, in a speech to the other five, "that's the only way to grow plucky. If you hear an odd noise, don't hide your head like a hyena or an ostrich, whichever it is, but hunt it up. If you happen to see a ghost, skip up and attack it."
Now the words of Solomon were always prized as gold. The boys reverenced Solomon, who could repeat the whole of a Latin verb, and was, moreover, "pitcher" on "the nine."