“Could you not let Susan bring him here? He of course will come if she tells him that you have sent for him,” observed Mrs Leslie.
“I am afraid that he might refuse,” answered Mrs Vallery, “he is not always as obedient as I could desire.”
Mrs Vallery hurried out to Norman.
“My dear child, what is the matter?” she exclaimed, as she saw him still flourishing his whip and looking very angry and red in the face.
“The hen flew at me, and the dog barked, and I threw the jar at their heads, and Fanny has been scolding ever since, and I will not stand it,” shouted Norman.
“Come in with me, my dear child,” said Mrs Vallery soothingly. “I am sure Fanny did not intend to scold you.”
“Indeed, I did not, mamma,” cried Fanny, running up and kissing Norman. “Trusty barked only in play, and I am sure would not hurt him for the world. You must make friends with Trusty, Norman, and he will then do anything you tell him, and will never bark at you again.”
At length Norman, becoming calmer, consented to accompany his mamma into the house. Fanny ran upstairs and brought down one of the picture-books with the pictures, in which she tried to amuse him by telling him stories about them, for she found that he was unable to read the descriptions which were placed below them, or on the opposite pages.
At last she saw that he had fallen asleep in the arm-chair on which he was seated, so she put a cushion under his head that he might rest more comfortably, and finding that he was not likely to awake, she stole out that she might gather some more flowers instead of those which had been scattered on the ground when Norman broke the vase, and which he had trampled on while he was angrily stamping about on the gravel walk.
She watched for an opportunity while her papa was out of his room, and placed the fresh bouquet on his mantelpiece.