“I have been and thrown a book on Fanny’s bird, and it’s dead. She asked me to come and tell you,” said Norman in a gruff voice; “and, granny, she wants you to go to her. I wish I had not done it, that’s all I have got to say.”
Having uttered these words he stood stock still, as if he was ready to receive any scoldings the ladies might think fit to administer.
“You have killed Fanny’s bird!” exclaimed Mrs Leslie and his mamma. “What, could make you do that?”
“I don’t know, I wish I hadn’t; but I am not going to say any more,” answered Norman.
“I will go to poor Fanny and try to comfort her, if the bird is really dead,” said Mrs Leslie rising.
“Norman, come here,” said his mamma, as soon as his granny had left the room. “If you have really killed Fanny’s bird on purpose, you have done a cruel thing. We are expecting your papa here this afternoon. When he hears of it, he will, I am sure, be very angry, and will punish you as he did the other day, before we left home.”
“I do not mind if he does,” said Norman. “When I threw the book, I did not care whether I killed the bird or not.”
“I am afraid that Norman is a very naughty boy,” observed Mrs Maclean, who did not understand the feeling which prompted him to say this. “You know the advice I have often given you, my dear Mary, and I hope when Captain Vallery comes, he will see the necessity of punishing him when he behaves ill, more severely than he appears hitherto to have done.”
Norman looked up at Mrs Maclean with a frown on his brow. He was beginning again to harden his heart, which had been softened by Fanny’s grief and the gentle way she had spoken to him.
“I don’t thank you for saying that, old lady,” he thought. “If papa whips me, I shall remember who advised him to do so,” and he determined to say no more. In vain his mamma and Mrs Maclean asked him why he had killed the bird, the latter continuing to scold him severely for some minutes.