Norman Vallery Part 28

His mamma placed him on the sofa and sat down by his side.

Norman was very soon again fast asleep, but the birds did not return, he only heard f.a.n.n.y's sweet voice telling him how much she loved him, and wished to forgive him all the harm he had done. He awoke much refreshed and happier than he had been for a long time.

"Here is papa! here is Captain Vallery!" he heard several voices exclaim.

Directly afterwards Captain Vallery entered the drawing-room with his mamma and f.a.n.n.y who had run out to meet him. Norman jumped up from the sofa.

"Why, my dear boy, you look rosy and well and fat, as if the Highland air agreed with you," said his papa, stooping down and kissing him.

"Why mamma, how grown he is. You will soon be a big boy, and able to play at cricket and football, and fish and shoot."

"I can answer for it that he will soon be able to fish if he follows my directions," observed the laird. "He already has some notion of throwing a fly, and I hope in the course of a year or two that he will turn out a good fisher."

"I hope he will turn out a good boy," observed Mrs Leslie, "for that is of more consequence, and I trust that he will become some day all we can desire."

"No fear of that, granny, I hope," observed Captain Vallery; "Norman is my son, and I intend that my son shall become a first-rate fellow."

Norman felt proud of hearing his father speak of him in that way. At the same time he was afraid that somehow or other he might hear of his misdeeds, and be inclined to change his opinion. If his grandmamma and f.a.n.n.y did not say what he had done, his mamma might, or Mrs Maclean, or the laird, or perhaps some of the servants, for he had never taken any pains to ingratiate himself with them.

This prevented him from feeling as happy as he otherwise might have been.

The laird insisted that the children should come down to dessert.

In consequence of their papa's arrival, dinner was much later than usual.

f.a.n.n.y would only accept a little fruit and a small cake, but Norman, who was hungry, and liked good things, eagerly gobbled up as many cakes and as much fruit as the laird, near whom he sat, offered him. When he had finished, without asking anybody's leave, he put out his hand and helped himself to a peach which was in a plate temptingly near. Having finished it, he looked towards the dish of cakes which was at a little distance.

"I should like some of those, now," he said, pointing at them.

"Ye are a braw laddie, ye tak' your meat," observed the laird. "Pray, Mrs Vallery, hand me the cakes."

His mamma made signs to Norman that he should not have asked for them, but he did not attend to her, and when the laird handed him the dish he helped himself to several, and began to eat them up quickly, fearing that they might be taken from him.

"My dear, you will make that child ill," observed Mrs Maclean, addressing her husband from the other end of the table.

Norman looked round very indignantly at her, and helped himself again.

Mrs Maclean had from the first perceived that Norman was allowed to have too much of his own way. He had discovered this, and was inclined to consider her as his personal enemy. Not content with what he had already obtained, as soon as he had emptied his plate, he helped himself to another cake or two from the plate which the laird had left near him.

Mrs Maclean shook her head, and looked at Mrs Leslie.

"Norman, you really must not eat so much," said his grandmamma.

"I am not eating much," he answered in an angry tone, forgetting his good resolutions. "You all have had dinner, and it's very hard that I should be told I must not eat when I am hungry."

The laird, who was amused at the remark, laughed heartily. "You follow the example of the renowned Captain Dalgetty, and lay in a store when you have the opportunity."

"Captain Dalgetty was an old soldier of fortune, and never knew when he might next find a meal, and Norman is a little boy, and is very sure to have a sufficient breakfast to-morrow morning," observed Mrs Leslie, "so pray Mr Maclean, do not let him have any more dessert."

"Mr Maclean is very kind, and you are all very ill-natured," exclaimed Norman angrily.

"Then it is time we should leave the table and carry you along with us, young gentleman," exclaimed Mrs Maclean, rising.

Norman was now thoroughly out of temper, and in contempt of his granny, who sat opposite to him, he seized another cake, which he crammed into his mouth. His grandmamma again shook her head at him, and then rising, came round to take him from his chair.

"Wish Mr Maclean good-night, and go and kiss your papa," she said, "for it is time for you to go to bed, I am sure."

Norman did not wish to leave the table as long as he could get anything on it, and obstinately kept his seat.

f.a.n.n.y felt very much vexed at seeing him behave in this way, and hurried up to a.s.sist her granny, not supposing for a moment that he would still refuse to go.

He held on to the table, and she had some difficulty in dragging him away. Forgetting all her loving-kindness in the morning, as she attempted to pull him away, he struck out at her with his little fists, and hit her a severe blow on the face. She endeavoured not to cry out, or to show any one what he had done, for indeed she felt more pain on his account than on her own. The laird, who had gone to open the door, did not see what had occurred.

"Let me go that I may wish papa good-night," said Norman, tearing himself away from f.a.n.n.y, and running towards Captain Vallery.

"Good-night, my boy," said his papa, who also had not observed his ill-behaviour. "When I unpack my portmanteau I hope to find some things for you and f.a.n.n.y. You shall see them to-morrow morning."

"Cannot you let me have them to-night? I hope you have got something I like," said Norman, without any thought of thanking his papa for his kindness.

"I am afraid you must wait till to-morrow," answered Captain Vallery, not rebuking him. "I have not had time to unpack my portmanteau, so you must have patience."

"I want the things now," said Norman; "everybody is trying to vex me."

"Go to bed, you are tired," said Captain Vallery soothingly. "Here, f.a.n.n.y come and take the poor child off, I see that he has been sitting up too long."

Norman, indeed, looked flushed and ill, and f.a.n.n.y hoped that after a night's rest, he would recollect his promise to try and behave well.

Though he still resisted, she managed to lead him from the room.

"Leave me alone, f.a.n.n.y," he exclaimed, as soon as they reached the drawing-room. "I don't want to go to bed, I had some sleep this afternoon, I have as much right to sit up as anybody else has," and again he struck out at her.

"My dear Norman, have you already forgotten the promises you made to be a good boy?" she said gently. "Oh, do try and restrain your temper."

"I did not say I would be good, if people were ill-natured to me, and granny and Mrs Maclean wanted to stop me from having dessert, and I should have liked some more, and the laird would have given it me, if it had not been for them," he answered petulantly. "I never liked old women, and I do not like them now."

"Hush, hush, Norman," cried f.a.n.n.y horrified, and fearing that they might overhear him. "Do go to bed quietly, and I will come and help you if mamma will let me."

Mrs Vallery who had come from the farther end of the room, observing that Norman looked flushed and angry, although she had not heard what he had said, thought it advisable without further delay to carry him off to bed. He resisted, however, and said he was not sleepy and would not go.

Mrs Maclean now came to his mamma's a.s.sistance. She had no notion of a little boy behaving as Norman was doing. "Hoity, toity, young gentleman, I cannot have you treat your mamma in this way in my house, so come along this instant, and do not let me hear another word from you."

Norman looked very angry at Mrs Maclean, but he obeyed her, for he had sense enough left to know that he had better do as she bid him, for fear she should tell his papa how he had treated f.a.n.n.y's bird.

Alas! all his good resolutions had been scattered to the winds. He now, however, went quietly enough with his mamma. When he got to his room, he gave her as much trouble as he could, and declared that he was too sleepy to say his prayers, though just before he had been a.s.serting that he was not at all sleepy, and did not wish to go to bed. She, in vain, begged him to do so, and had at last, as she often had before done, to kneel down by his bedside and pray for him. He turned his face away from her, when she bade him good-night, and only mumbled a reply. There are, I am afraid, many more little boys like Norman, who do not regret how much pain they give those who love them best.

Poor f.a.n.n.y was especially grieved. She had flattered herself that happy days were coming, when Norman would be gentle and obliging, and all she could wish, and now he appeared to be as naughty as ever.

I do not know whether the little birds again visited him in his dreams, and croaked and scolded him, and told him that he was a very, very naughty boy, but I am very certain that his dreams could not have been pleasant.

f.a.n.n.y had another cause for regret, when she looked up at the spot where the cage with her little favourite in it used to hang, and no cage was there. Had Norman continued to show that he was sorry, and was really going to behave better, she would not she thought have felt her loss so much. As soon as she was up in the morning, she went in as usual to help her brother, who though he declared that he could dress himself, never managed to do so properly. He appeared to be in a better temper than on the previous evening.