Norman Vallery Part 2

f.a.n.n.y shook her head.

"No, I have not, and I don't intend to do so," growled Norman.

"We shall soon see that," cried Susan, dragging him to the basin; "there, take care you don't upset it," and forcing his hands into the water, she covered them well with soap.

Norman was so astonished at the whole proceeding, that he forgot to struggle, and only looked very red and angry. Susan made him rub his hands together till all the soap was washed off, and then dried them briskly with the towel.

"There, we have finished the business for you, young gentleman," she said, as she released the boy, of whom she had kept a firm hold all the time.

"Now, we will put on your jacket and handkerchief, and you will be ready to go downstairs, but before you go just let me advise you not again to beat your sister in the way you did just now, or I will not let you off so easily."

"Oh, pray do not be angry with him, Susan," said f.a.n.n.y, "he will I hope let me help him to dress to-morrow, and behave like a good boy."

"No, I won't," growled Norman, "as soon as I see my papa I will tell him how that horrid woman has treated me, and he will soon send her about her business."

Susan wisely did not reply to the last observation, but quietly made the young gentleman put on his jacket, and then fastened his collar, and tied his handkerchief round his neck.

"There, you will do now," she said, surveying him with an expression in which pity was mingled with admiration, for he was indeed a handsome child, and she thought how grievous it would be that he should be spoilt by being allowed to have his own way. She then, lifting him up, suddenly placed him again in the chair and said, "Sit quiet, young gentleman, and try and get cool and nice to go down, and see your grandmamma. We are not accustomed to have angry faces in this house, and what is more we won't have them."

"Now come, Miss f.a.n.n.y, I will help you to finish dressing."

Saying this she signed to f.a.n.n.y to go out of the room, and, closing the door, locked the young gentleman in.

As soon as she had put on f.a.n.n.y's frock and shoes, and arranged her hair, she went back to release Norman, whom she found still seated in the chair, in sullen dignity, with the angry frown yet on his countenance.

Susan said nothing, but taking his hand led him down after f.a.n.n.y, to the door of the breakfast-room. He went in willingly enough, for he was very hungry and wanted his breakfast, but the angry frown on his brow had not vanished.

"Good morning, my dear," said his grandmamma, who was already there, and had just kissed f.a.n.n.y, who sprang forward to meet her.

Norman did not answer, but stood near the door, pouting his lips, while he kept his fists doubled by his side.

"What is the matter with him, my dear f.a.n.n.y?" asked Mrs Leslie.

His sister did not like to tell their grandmamma of his behaviour, so instead of replying, she ran to him and tried to lead him forward.

"I want my breakfast," muttered Norman.

"You will have it directly your mamma comes down, and prayers are over,"

said Mrs Leslie quietly. "Come my dear, and give me a kiss, as your sister does every morning, you know that you are my grandchild as well as she is, and that I wish to love you as I do her."

"I don't care about that, I want my breakfast," exclaimed Norman, breaking away from f.a.n.n.y, and going towards the table, to help himself to some rolls he saw on it.

f.a.n.n.y greatly ashamed at his behaviour, again endeavoured to lead him up to his grandmamma, but he, tearing his hands from hers, kicked out at her, and ran back to the table.

Just then Mrs Vallery entered the room and affectionately embracing her mother, drew her attention for a moment away from her grandchild.

Norman took the opportunity of seizing one of the rolls, which he began stuffing into his mouth. His mother, though she saw him, and felt somewhat ashamed of his behaviour made no remark, for she knew what the consequences would be should she interfere.

"I am so much obliged to you, f.a.n.n.y," she said, "for dressing your brother. I hope he behaved well."

f.a.n.n.y 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.

f.a.n.n.y, having made the tea, rang the bell and the servants, as usual, came in to prayers. Norman not being interfered with, kept munching away at the hot roll, and did not relinquish it when his mamma took him up, and placed him on a chair by her side. All the time Mrs Leslie was reading the sound of his biting the crisp crust was heard, while he sat casting a look of defiance at Susan, whose eye he saw was resting on him.

When they were seated at the table, Mrs Vallery apologised to his grandmamma for his conduct, observing that he was very hungry, as he was accustomed to have his breakfast as soon as he was up.

"We must let Susan give it him, then, another morning," observed Mrs Leslie; "she will, I am sure, be very glad to attend to him in her room."

"I won't eat anything that woman gives me," growled Norman, looking up from the roll and pat of fresh b.u.t.ter which his mamma had given him; "she is a nasty old thing; and if she tries to put on my stockings and wash my hands again, I will beat her as I did my ayah, and will soon show her who is master."

"I thought you dressed your brother this morning, f.a.n.n.y," observed Mrs Vallery.

"So I did, mamma, but Susan came in to help me, though I hope to-morrow Norman will let me dress him entirely," answered f.a.n.n.y, determined if possible not to speak of her brother's misconduct, and hoping by loving-kindness to overcome his evil temper.

Mrs Leslie wondered how a child of her gentle daughter's could behave as Norman was doing.

"You will arrange about his breakfast as you think best, Mary," she said; "but I hope that if Susan is kind enough to attend to him, he will be grateful to her. She is a faithful and excellent servant, and, of course, will expect to be obeyed and treated with respect by a little boy."

A peculiar shake of the head which Norman gave, showed that he had no intention of following his grandmamma's wishes.

Captain Vallery coming in, no further remark on the subject was made.

Having saluted his mother-in-law and daughter, and given Norman an affectionate pat on the head, he sat down to breakfast. f.a.n.n.y having given him a cup of tea, and helped him to an egg and toast, and offered him other things on the table, he began to talk in his usual animated way, so that Norman, who wanted to make a complaint against Susan in his presence, was unable to get in a word. f.a.n.n.y, who, guessing his intentions, was on the watch, whenever she saw that he was about to speak offered him a little more bread, or honey, or milk, anxiously endeavouring to prevent him saying anything which she considered would bring disgrace upon himself, by making his misconduct known. Happily for her affectionate design, Captain Vallery had to go up to London, and as soon as breakfast was over, kissing her and Norman, without listening to the mutterings of the latter, he hurried off to catch the train.

CHAPTER TWO.

IN PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE.

A lady came every morning to teach f.a.n.n.y, but Mrs Leslie had begged that she might have a holiday in consequence of her papa's and mamma's arrival, and that she might have more time to play with her little brother.

f.a.n.n.y had been anxiously considering how she could best amuse him.

"What should you like to do, Norman?" she asked, putting her arm affectionately round his neck. "You see I am a girl, and perhaps I may like many things that you will not care about. Let me consider. We can arrange my doll's house, or we can play at paying visits; and I have two battledores and a shuttlec.o.c.k, which I will teach you how to use; and then you must come out and help me to feed my chickens. I have also a garden of my own, and I am sure granny will let you have a piece of ground near it, or else you shall have part of mine, and you can learn how to keep it neat and pretty. And whenever you like you can have a game at romps with Trusty. You must make friends with him to-day; and if you call him by his name and give him a piece of meat, which I will get from the cook for you, and pat his head, he will soon learn to know you. But you must not frighten him with your whip, or he will run away from you. He used to be beaten when he was naughty, but then he was a little puppy, and did not know better; but now he never does anything wrong, and if he was ever so hungry, and was told to guard the things in the larder, or on the dining-room table, from the cat, he would not touch the nicest dish himself, and would take care that neither the cat nor any other dog came near them."

"I do not care about any of the things you speak of," answered Norman.

"I want my whip, and I think Susan has hid it for fear I should beat her, and I intend to do so if she dares to treat me like a baby. I will beat Trusty too, if he barks at me--you'll see if I don't--and he will soon find out who is master. I am a brave boy, papa says so, and I want to be a man as soon as I can."

"But brave and good boys do not beat either women or dogs, and I hope you wish to be good as well as brave," said f.a.n.n.y gently.

"So I am, when I have my own way," exclaimed Norman, "and my own way I intend to have that I can tell you. Now, f.a.n.n.y, go and find my whip, or make Susan give it to you if she has got it, and if she will not, tell her that my papa will make her when he comes home."

f.a.n.n.y, wishing to please her brother, and not believing that he would really make a bad use of his whip, hunted about for it, but in vain.

She then went and asked Susan if she had got it.

Susan replied that she knew nothing about the whip, and had last seen it by the side of the young gentleman when he had fallen asleep in the arm-chair.