Fanny would as usual, have tried to save her brother from being blamed, but Sandy told the whole story.
“You brought it upon yourself, by disobeying orders, Norman,” observed Mr Maclean. “I will go in and tell your mamma and Mrs Leslie what has occurred, that they may not be alarmed, and the best thing you can do is to go to bed, and to stay there till your clothes are dried. You must not expect to go out in the boat again, as I see you cannot be trusted.”
“It was all Fanny’s fault, she had no business to make me angry,” answered Norman; “it is very hard that I should be punished because of her.”
The laird made no answer, but telling a maid-servant who appeared at the moment to carry Master Vallery upstairs and put him to bed, he entered the drawing-room where the ladies were sitting.
The laird took care not to alarm them when he described what had happened.
“Sandy did not tell you that I laughed at Norman, and that made him angry,” said Fanny.
“He had no business to be angry, young lady,” observed the laird. “Let me advise you, my dear Mrs Vallery, to allow him to remain in bed till he becomes more amiable. His tumble into the water may perhaps be an advantage to him, and teach him the consequences of giving way to his anger.”
Mrs Vallery, however, though assured that no real harm had happened to her boy, could not refrain from running upstairs to see him.
Norman did not appear at all sensible that he had brought the accident upon himself, and declared that it was all Fanny’s fault, and that he would not stop in bed.
Mrs Vallery at last yielded to his entreaties to be allowed to get up, and obtaining some fresh clothes, led him down to dinner, after he had promised that he would tell Mr Maclean he was sorry for having disobeyed his orders. Norman did so, though not with a very good grace, and he could not help feeling for the rest of the day that he was out of favour with the laird.