More William

e-M

door bitterly. "Rice-mould! Rice-mould!

who was perched perilously on the ivy-cove

just eat it; I neve

er and I'll have it at supper-bet you anything. I say

nodded c

going to

prise. "I should think so! You don't think they

at him e

ou'll have a lovely supper

illiam with an a

ing to have to e

ng," said Wi

blanc

it-bucke

l next door cl

mould!" (It is impossible to convey in print the intense scorn and hatre

dea struc

do you ha

ev

n your summer-house at half-past, I'll brin

l's face beame

you really? Yo

'll slip away from our sh

hinking of it every minute

s and flitted dain

the blown kiss and descende

s at opposite ends of the room, engaged in hanging up festoons of ivy and holly across the wall. There was

half-past, i'll bring you some cream b

illiam. "Am I or am I not co

s mother

t open that discussion again. For

t, to give a party and leave out your only son, at least,"-with a glance at Robert, and a slight concession to accura

r your end,"

etter," said W

nt Jane it was a young folks' party. Well, I'm young, aren't I? I'm eleven. Do you want me

Put the nail in

higher. Th

. And you've got things for us-them-to eat to-night. You don't grudge me just a bit of supper, do you? You'd think it was l

ed round on her ladde

aid desperately, "sto

descend his ladder. "I th

rown dignity to th

ily interposed herself between him and the table that

" she said sharply, "

am, magnificently but untruthfully. "I only came to

iam," she said with sarcastic politeness, "but nothing for

hes. William, from a respectful distance, s

and stuffing, and stuffing away at our food all night! I don't sup

unkindly, keeping a watchful eye upon him. "Here, Emma, put th

! That rem

tingly, "are you going t

ter William,"

c-mange! I've never heard of a party without cream blanc-mange! They'll think i

ter William," said cook

e, p'raps, later on-just

hy sho

cream blanc-mange. I think they'd en

a that tells me what to make

novel idea

ught d

aused for effect, then brought out the startling of

ixpence first," said co

the eyes of the little girl next door-a reputation very dear to him-depended on it. And if cook would do it for sixpence, he must find sixpence. By fair means or foul it must be done. He'd tried fair means, and there only remained foul. He went softly downstairs to the dining

they can give to the poor heathen. They can spend pounds and pounds on"-he glanced round the room and saw a pyramid of pears o

e's probably in mischief somewhere. He'll be a perfect nuisance all

! And he'd show them, anyway. Yes, he would show them. Exactly what he would show them and how he would show them, he was not as yet ve

h knit brows, deep in thought, then his face cleared and he smiled. He'd got it! For the next five minutes he munched the delicious pears, but, at the end, the piled-up pyramid was apparently exactly as he found it, not a pear gone, only-on the inner side of each pear, the side that didn't show, was a huge s

a small one-quite a small o

lau

aster William. I've got one mad

am. "I-wanted them to have a c

ight; they won't leave muc

iam carelessly. "It must be a bother for you

"there's more than the cream blanc-mange there; there's pasties and

re supper in the larder, and supper had to be postponed while fresh provisions were beaten up

a long time ago. I w

left I'll bring it up to you in bed. Now that's a promise. Here, Emma, put th

come here fo

took the dish of sandwiches, unlocked the pantry door, and entered. There was a crash of crockery from the back kitchen. Emma fled out, leaving the d

for a few minutes in rapt admiration of his own cleverness. He'd scored off cook! Crumbs! He'd scored off cook! So far, at any rate. The

oo! Crumbs! The cat was in too! The cat, recognising its inveterate enemy, set up a vindict

" he whispered hoarsely. "Nic

rprise. This form of addre

"Shut up, then. Here's some nice blanc-mange.

wasting time, and began to sample the plates around him. He ate a whole jelly, and then took four sandwiches off each plate, and four cakes and pasties off each plate. He had learnt wisdom since the last party

d out Emma fr

e she was assisting with the fest

y buzzing noise

hat it is. It's probab

the blanc-mange to his bosom, withdrew behind the

the cat's green, unabashed gaze. "Did it get shut u

p the stairs in stockinged feet like a flash of lightning. But Emma, leaning over the cat, had espied a dark flying figure out of t

of my eye, like, and when I looked up 'e wasn't there no more. Flittin' up the

liam's mother. "Emma, yo

ore I came in to 'elp with the greenery ornaments, and it was hempty

William's mother with su

his bedroom and look

ce and look which he had brought to a fine art, and which pr

re you

quietly in my

don't disturb him, then

imagining things. If you'd read the ones I recommend

rive and exchange greetings in the hall. William, listening with his door open, carefully committed to memory the voice and manner of his sister's greeting to her friends. That would come in useful later on,

come! What a perfect darling of a dress, my dear. I know whose heart you'll break in that! Oh, Mr. Thompson!"-here William languished, bridled and ogled in a fashion seen nowhere on earth except in his imitations of his s

couldn't march through the hall and out of the front door, bearing a cream blanc-mange, naked and unashamed. And the back door through the kitchen was impossible. With infinite care but little success as far as the shape of the blanc-mange was concerned, he removed it from its dish on to his soap-dish. He forgot, in the excitement of the moment, to remove the soap, but, after all, it was only a small piece. The soa

the fact that his father generally re

e hall and glanced at his you

aid, "where a

red his thro

s' goin' a little walk up the road before I wen

ncircling arm, had fallen on to the floor at his feet. With praiseworthy presence of mind William promptly stepped on to it

was

nd the hall absent

fastened his eyes u

ou got under

illiam with app

it for the first time, "Oh, that!" with a mirthless smile. "Do you mean

iam's fath

up the road why on earth don't you go, instead o

idding. He darted out of the door and down the drive, but he was just in time to hear the thud of a falling body, and to hear

gasped Willi

g cold and damp on his chest. He drew it from his coat and displayed it proudly. It had certainly lost its pristine, white, rounded appearance. The marks of the cat

t you really would! Oh, you

ha

, because I thought-I hoped, you'd come w

glowed w

an irate voice from

to stand from that kid, and is out for vengeance. They'd got to the pears! Oh, crumbs! They'd got to

nner and watched the smile freeze upon her face

irl next door sadly, "they're ca

not till they fetch me. Here! you begin. I don't

nticipation, the little

upon her face and her look of ecstasy change to one of fury. With a horrible susp

t the rice-mo