It was such pain as this that John Snap likes to
give.

Though John Snap was so bad, yet he could do and say things which made
boys like to be with him. There was now and then a great deal of fun in
what he said, and he could make boys laugh. All boys like to laugh, and
few could fail to laugh at what John Snap said.

Thus, in time, they might have been led to like him, and then they
would not have thought some of the things he did so bad as they were.
It was the fear of this which made Mr. Thorpe tell Charles he did not
wish him to play with John Snap.

Mr. Thorpe told Charles that when John Snap spoke to him he must say
what he had to say to him in a kind way, but that he must leave him as
soon as he could.

Now it was not right of Charles Thorpe to go to John Snap's house, nor
ought he to have gone out with him to play at trap and ball, for he
knew that it was wrong to do so. This was the cause why he could not go
with Jane to the toy shop. He was kept at home for a week, and told not
to go past the sunk fence.

John Snap had not seen him for six days, so he thought he would go and
call at Broom Hill. When he got there, he did not go to the house, but
took a walk down the lime walk. This was just at the time when Jane was
gone; and when he came to the seat near the tree he saw the doll. What
he _did_ may now be told.

Yes! it was John Snap who had done this deed. At noon, as soon as it
was done, he went close to a tree, so that he could not be seen. He did
this that he might see what Jane would do when she came back, and hear
what she would say.

He heard and saw all; but when he found how great was Jane's grief, he
kept quite close to the tree, and did not dare to move till she was
gone. He then went home as fast as he could, and great was his hope
that no one would know that it was he who had cut off the poor doll's
head.

Mr. and Mrs. Thorpe, and Jane's Aunt too, thought that this was like
some of John Snap's tricks, but they did not wish to say so to Jane or
to Charles. Jane's Aunt had a plan which she thought would be the means
to find out if he had done this or not.

One day Charles was sent to ask John Snap to dine at Broom Hill.

John was glad to go; but he felt he should not like to see Jane, for
she might talk of her doll; and if she should talk of it, he thought
that he might say or do that which might tell what he had done. Yet
John Snap went to dine at Broom Hill.

Now there was one thing