The Big Nightcap Letters Part 8

"'I know it, Master Arthur; it was too brown; and you are so hard to suit, that I did not dare to serve it.'

"'_I_ hard to suit?' cried Arthur, who seemed to have forgotten what a naughty boy he had been. '_I_ hard to suit? Not at all. If the toast _is_ a little too brown, I don't mind it. Give it to me, Margaret.'

"'I threw it away,' said the cook.

"'Oh, well, I'm in no hurry; I will wait while you make me another piece.'

"'My fire has gone out,' said the cook.

"'Well, you can re-light it, can't you?'

"'Do you think I have nothing to do but to wait upon you?' cried the cook. 'You know nothing ever suits you; and you always speak rudely to me;' and she flounced out of the room.

"'How _can_ she say so, mamma?' cried Arthur. '_I_ speak rudely to her?

Why, I was as polite as ever I could be. It is too bad!'

"'Servants find it very hard to attend upon you, Arthur. They are accustomed to polite treatment from the rest of us.'

"'Well--but mamma--to accuse me to-day, when it was _she_ who'--

"'Was indulging in ILL-TEMPER,' interrupted his mother.

"_Arthur understood_, and was silent.

"The hour for his grammar lesson had now arrived. The tutor bowed to Arthur's mother, smiled, and commenced:

"'Do you _know_ your lessons, my young friend?'

"'I have studied them, sir.'

"'Do you _know_ them? It is of little consequence that you have studied them, if you do not know them.'

"'I believe I do, sir.'

"'Well, let us see--begin.'

"'In the _tenses_,' began Arthur a little embarra.s.sed, 'we should distinguish the _moods_ and the verbs.'

"'Nonsense! you should have said, "In the _verbs_ we should distinguish the moods and the tenses."'

"'Yes, sir, that is what I _meant_ to say; I knew that, but my tongue slipped.'

"'Your tongue slips very often. Continue'--

"Arthur, still more embarra.s.sed, said--'We should also distinguish the _moods_ and the persons.'

"'You must be demented! What have the moods to do in that sentence?

Perhaps you are expecting a visit from the man in the moon, and that makes you talk such nonsense. The grammar says--"We should distinguish the _numbers_ and the persons." Your tongue does nothing but slip; you do not know your lesson.'

"'Excuse me, sir; I do know it.'

"'You are not respectful, Master Arthur,' said the teacher in a cold, severe tone.

"'But, sir'--

"'When a boy knows his lesson he does not make such abominable blunders in reciting.'

"'But, sir, you troubled me; you put me out.'

"'_I_ trouble you? A very singular excuse, and a very poor one. Come, let me look at your composition.'

"But here matters became worse and worse. The master 'pshawed,' and frowned, and grumbled to himself. 'No application! no thought! bad spelling! bad grammar! a perfect ma.s.s of faults!'

"Arthur grew red and pale by turns, as his teacher wrote right across the page in large letters: 'A composition so badly done, that it is impossible to correct it.'

"Then he rose coldly, looking very grim, took his hat, and addressing Arthur's mother, said--'Madam, I cannot consent to teach your son any longer; I have so little success, that I feel I have no right to the very liberal salary you have accorded me. Another, perhaps, will do better.'

"'Oh, sir! no! pray, don't go!' exclaimed Arthur; 'I will try to do better! indeed, I will! upon my word and honor I will. I love you, sir!'

"A pleasant light suddenly came into the teacher's eyes, and a soft smile pa.s.sed like lightning over his lips.

"'Do, please, give me your hand, sir,' said Arthur, 'and promise me that you will continue to teach me.'

"His broad, black eyebrows immediately contracted into a great frown; and he said gruffly--'Very well, I will try you once more,' and left the room.

"For a few moments there was silence; then a distressed expression came over Arthur's face, as he said--'Mamma, my teacher was very--(he was at a loss for a word) very _singular_ with me to-day--don't you think so, mamma?'

"'What do you mean by _singular_?'

"'Why, not as he usually is--not at all.'

"'His reproofs seemed perfectly just to me; you were not perfect in your lessons.'

"'Well, mamma, I do not deny that; but at all other times he has been so kind and patient, and never treated me with such unexpected severity.'

"'Ah!' said his mother, 'I am afraid, then, that this morning he was indulging in ILL TEMPER.'

"Arthur hung his head, and was silent: his conscience was busy whispering to him, and the rest of the morning pa.s.sed painfully; but after luncheon, he prepared for a walk with joy, for the day was lovely, and the air exhilarating.

"But all at once the sky became overcast, and very soon after the rain fell in torrents.

"'Oh, dear me, how tiresome!' cried Arthur, 'just when I am going to take a walk; it is perfectly hateful.'

"'G.o.d sends the rain,' said his mother, gently.

"Arthur hung his head again without answering. What could he say, indeed? But with his new resolution strong in his mind, he determined to bear this disappointment with patience; and he called Jumbo to play with him.

"But the cat, usually so quick to come purring to his knee, remained just where he was, as if he had been suddenly struck deaf, and dumb, and blind. Arthur went to him, and tried to take him in his arms; but he hissed at his playmate, and scampered away with his back and tail high in the air, and hid under the sofa.