Ellen rises with
great dignity. I fancy I can see her, sending out to order them off.
And then, oh dear, Jock only hopping more frantically than ever round
the poor man the hired waiter, who, you must know, is the
undertaker's chief mute, and singing—-
'Leedle, leedle, leedle,
Our cat's dead.
What did she die wi'?
Wi' a sair head.
A' you that kenned her
While she was alive,
Come to her burying
At half-past five.'
And then the Colonel, bestirring himself to the rescue, with 'go away
boys, or I'll send for the police.' And then the discovery, when in
the height of his wrath, Jock perked up, and said, 'I thought you
would like to have the ladies amused, Uncle Robert.' He did box his
ears then—-small blame to him, I must say. I could stand that better
than the jaw Ellen gave us afterwards. I beg your pardon, Mary, but
it really was one. She thinks us far gone in the ways of depravity,
and doesn't willingly let her little girls come near us."
"Isn't that a pity?"
"I don't know; Essie and Ellie have feelings in their clothes, and
don't like our scrambling walks, and if Ellie does get allured by our
wicked ways, she is sure to be torn, or splashed, or something, and
we have shrieks and lamentations, and accusations of Jock and Joe,
amid floods of tears; and Jessie comes to the rescue, primly shaking
her head and coaxing her little sister, while she brings out a needle
and thread.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149