Fanny burst into a merry laugh.
“You are always grinning at me,” exclaimed Norman, turning round and going out of the room.
Again his evil feelings were aroused.
“I won’t be laughed at by a girl,” he said to himself, as he made his way towards the kitchen to deliver the fish to the cook. “I will pay her off, and she will be sorry that she jeered at me.”
“Well, young gentleman. These are fine fish,” said the cook, “did you catch them all?”
“No I didn’t,” answered Norman turning away, for he was afraid the cook would laugh at him, as Fanny had done, if he boasted of having caught them.
“Fanny, you should not laugh at Norman,” observed Mrs Vallery, “he cannot endure that sort of thing, as he has not been accustomed to it.”
“But, my dear Mary, don’t you think it would be better that he should learn to endure it, and get accustomed to be joked with?” said Mrs Maclean. “When he goes to school he will be compelled to bear the jokes of his companions, if he gets angry on such occasions, they will only joke at him the more, and he will have a very uncomfortable time of it.”
“Poor boy! I am afraid what you say is true, but still, I do not consider that his sister should be the person to teach him the unpleasant lesson,” answered Mrs Vallery.
“I did not intend to hurt his feelings, and will find him and try to comfort him as well as I can,” said Fanny, putting up her work.