“What are you children about?” she asked. “Fanny my dear, what are you doing to your little brother?”
“She was laughing at me,” cried out Norman, “and because I was angry, she is pinching me all over.”
“Indeed, I am not,” said Fanny, and though an instant before she had felt very angry with Norman, having overcome the feeling, she did not like to say that he had thrown the bat at her.
“I laughed at him, mamma, merely because he missed the ball so often, and when I came near him he wanted to hit me.”
“And I did hit you,” cried Norman, “and I will hit you again if you laugh at me,” and again he struggled to get free.
“My dear Fanny, you should have more consideration for your little brother,” remarked Mrs Vallery, coming up to them.
Fanny let go her hold of Norman, who gave a vicious kick out at her as she did so, and ran to his mamma’s side.
Poor Fanny felt inclined to cry at the rebuke she had received, and yet she would not excuse herself by saying what Norman had done. That young gentleman, considering he had gained a triumph, shouted out—
“Now you may go and play by yourself, I do not want to have anything more to do with the stupid trap and bat.”
“It is very ungrateful in you to say that, Norman, after your papa brought it down expressly for you,” said Mrs Vallery. “Stay and play on, and try if you cannot do better; and, Fanny, let me ask you not to laugh at the little fellow if he does not manage to hit the ball as often as you do.”