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The rest of the party soon entered the breakfast-room. Captain Vallery came last. Fanny jumped up to throw her arms round his neck and kiss him; but Norman did not leave his seat; he had been looking out for the presents of which his papa had spoken. He was much disappointed when he saw him deposit two small parcels on the sideboard. "We will look at them after prayers," he observed.
I think Fanny Vallery had pleasanter dreams than her brother Norman that night. Mrs Vallery went upstairs to see Norman. She found him still seated in the chair looking very sulky. "Mrs Norton and Susan and everybody have been scolding at me," he muttered; "I wish you would send them all away.
He wondered that nobody had asked him how he had cut his finger, or spoke to him about Miss Lucy, not understanding the forgiving spirit which had induced Fanny to refrain from speaking of his conduct. "Perhaps she is afraid of saying anything about it, because she slapped my face," he thought. At last, Mrs Vallery went in to get ready for dinner.
"We justly believe our Fanny to be sweet and charming, but she is well aware of this, and is ever on the watch to overcome the evil she discovers within herself. Depend upon it, did she not do so she would not be the delightful creature we think her." "Could Fanny possibly have been otherwise than delightful?" said Mrs Vallery.
"I thought so," said Captain Vallery. "Did you cut the hole in your ball, Norman?" he asked sternly. "I wanted to see the wind in it," murmured Norman. Now Captain Vallery, though he held some wrong ideas about education, was a highly honourable man, and as every honourable man must do, he hated a falsehood, or any approach to a falsehood.
"You would not like to see a tiger spring up at the howdah, and try to drag you out of it, as happened when your papa was out shooting one day, and the poor mahout was so dreadfully torn that he died?" observed Mrs Vallery. "Tiger shooting is a very dangerous amusement, and I was always anxious till your papa came back safe. It was no amusement to me in the meantime."
He was considered an honourable and brave officer, and was a very kind husband, but Mrs Vallery discovered that he had certain peculiar notions which were not likely to make him bring up his children as she would desire. One of his notions was, that boys especially, in order to develop their character, as he said, should always be allowed to have their own way.
I have been thinking what I should write, and I have made up my mind to put simply, `Here lies Pecksy, the feathered friend of Fanny Vallery. If I was to write when he died, or how he was killed, or anything of that sort, it might remind me of what I want to forget. Don't you think that will be very nice." "Oh yes," answered Norman, "I like your idea. I will dig the grave.
"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.
"If we had a basin of water we should be able to make the swan and fish swim about," said Captain Vallery; "I never saw anything of the sort before, and was sure Fanny would like it." Now Fanny had not only seen but possessed a magnetic toy similar to the one her papa had brought her.
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