She locked the bureau in a hurry, and opened the door, calling back
to the boys, and then she found that Aunt Ellen had taken all the
three out walking, when Jock and Armine, with the remains of their
money burning in their pockets, had insisted on buying two little
ships, which must necessarily be launched in the Serpentine. Their
aunt could by no means endure this, and Janet did not approve, so
there seemed to have been a battle royal, in which Jock would have
been the victor, if his little brother had not been led off captive
between his aunt and sister, when Jock went along on the opposite
side of the road, asserting his independence by every sort of monkey
trick most trying to his aunt's rural sense of London propriety.
It was very ridiculous to see the tall, grave, stately Mrs. Robert
Brownlow standing there describing the intolerable naughtiness of
that imp, who, not a bit abashed, sat astride on the balustrade in
the comfortable conviction that he was not hers.
"I hope, at least," concluded the lady, "that you will make them feel
how bad their behaviour has been."
"Jock," said Carey mechanically, "I am afraid you have behaved very
ill to your aunt."
"Why, Mother Carey," said that little wretch, "it is just that she
doesn't know anything about anything in London.
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