En Life, Hannah."
Now I meant nothing by this at the time. But it was getting on my
nerves to be put in the infant class all the time. The Xmas before
they had done it, and I had had my revenge. Although it had hurt me
more than it hurt them, and if I gave them a fright I gave myself
a worse one. As I said at that time:
Oh, what a tangeled web we weive,
When first we practice to decieve.
Sir Walter Scott.
Hannah gave me a horrafied Glare, and dipped into the Suitcase
again. She brought up a tin box of Cigarettes, and I thought she
was going to have delerium tremens at once.
Well, at first I thought the girls at school had played a Trick on
me, and a low down mean Trick at that. There are always those who
think it is funny to do that sort of thing, but they are the first
to squeel when anything is done to them. Once I put a small garter
Snake in a girl's muff, and it went up her sleave, which is nothing
to some of the things she had done to me. And you would have
thought the School was on fire.
Anyhow, I said to myself that some Smarty was trying to get me into
trouble, and Hannah would run to the Familey, and they'd never
beleive me. All at once I saw all my cherished plans for the summer
gone, and me in the Country somewhere with Mademoiselle, and
walking through the pasture with a botany in one hand and a folding
Cup in the other, in case we found a spring a cow had not stepped
in. Mademoiselle was once my Governess, but has retired to private
life, except in cases of emergency.
I am naturaly very quick in mind. The Archibalds are all like that,
and when once we decide on a Course we stick to it through thick
and thin. But we do not lie. It is rediculous for Hannah to say I
said the cigarettes were mine. All I said was:
"I suppose you are going to tell the Familey. You'd better run, or
you'll burst."
"Oh, Miss Barbara, Miss Barbara!" she said." And you so young to be
so wild!"
This was unjust, and I am one to resent injustice. I had returned
home with my mind fixed on serious Things, and now I was being told
I was wild.
"If I tell your mother she'll have a fit,".