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Updated: June 24, 2025
"You are right, Mrs Leslie," her papa had remarked, "I acknowledge the wisdom of the great king, and must follow his advice." After breakfast Fanny's governess arrived, and Captain Vallery took his son up into his room. What happened there Norman did not divulge, but he looked very crestfallen during the rest of the morning.
Oh yes, oh yes, the birds, the birds, I see them again," cried Norman, with his eyes wide open, staring into the air. In vain Mrs Vallery tried to soothe him. He still cried out, "Take the birds away!" He did not even know her. "Naughty woman, do as I tell you! Don't let the birds come and tease me," he cried out.
While he was speaking to his wife and Mrs Leslie, Norman ran up to it, and although he had not even spoken to his papa, began pulling away at the string. "Ah, he is a zealous little fellow, he wishes to save me trouble," observed Captain Vallery, and Fanny hoped that such was the motive which prompted Norman, though she wished he had shown greater pleasure at seeing their papa come back.
"I cannot play, my hand hurts me so much," answered Norman. Mrs Vallery, seeing from the small size of the finger-stall Mrs Norton had put on, that the injury could not be very severe, insisted that Norman should accompany her. "You will soon, I hope, Norman, go to school, where you will have other boys to play with," observed Mrs Vallery, as she led him downstairs.
In the meantime Susan had reached the drawing-room where Mrs Vallery was reclining on the sofa to rest after the fatigue of her journey. "Please marm," said Susan as she entered, "I am sorry to say that the young gentleman is in such a tantrum that I do not know what to do with him, and I am afraid he will make himself ill.
The laird drove Mrs Maclean and Mrs Leslie in one, and Captain Vallery took charge of his wife and children in the other. After driving some way along the road, leaving the loch behind them they mounted a hill, and to Fanny's surprise, she found that they were close to Alec Morrison's cottage. The laird called him out.
Mrs Vallery was greatly grieved at discovering what Norman had done, at the same time she was much pleased to hear the way Fanny pleaded for her young brother, and she could not resist stooping down and kissing her again and again while the tears came into her eyes. "O mother! you have indeed made her all I can wish," she said, turning to Mrs Leslie.
"I am so much obliged to you, Fanny," she said, "for dressing your brother. I hope he behaved well." Fanny would not tell an untruth, but she did not wish to complain of Norman, so she hung down her head, as if she herself had done something wrong. Mrs Leslie suspected that Norman had not behaved well, but she remained silent on the subject as Mrs Vallery did not repeat the question.
It is far more difficult to teach a child what it ought to do, though I trust the good example set by our dear Fanny will have its due effect, while we must continue to pray without ceasing that the heart of your child may be changed." "I fear he has a very bad heart now," sighed Mrs Vallery, "I am always in dread that he should do something wrong."
Her mamma Mrs Leslie's only daughter had married Captain Vallery, an officer in the Indian army, while he was at home on leave, and had accompanied him to the East. She returned three or four years afterwards, in consequence of ill health, bringing with her little Fanny, who, when she went back to her husband, was left under charge of her mother, Mrs Leslie.
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