But by this time John had wandered to the window, and was carefully
inspecting the dead wasp. Not content with looking, he must needs take
it up to count how many legs it had. "One, two, three, four." John
was very fond of counting, especially at lesson-times. But there was
one important item that he left out of his calculations--the sting!

"Oh! oh! It hurts! it hurts!" shouted the little boy, as he hopped
about the room nursing his thumb.

"You silly child! If you had only been obedient and done what I told
you, instead of playing with the wasp," began Miss Thompson. Then she
remembered that it really was a waste of breath pointing out a moral to
a boy who was shouting and sobbing, so that he could not hear a word
she said. "You had better go to the nursery," she added, "and have
something put on your hand. No, you need not do any more lessons
before dinner. You can go out into the garden, and your sisters will
join you when they have finished."

John was out of the schoolroom door almost before she had done
speaking. When once in the passage his cries stopped suddenly. He
knew better than to wake the baby out of its mid-day sleep. So on
tiptoe, with carefully suppressed sobs, he entered the nursery, and
replied in whispers to Nurse's anxious inquiries after his injuries.
John had been her favourite charge until the recent arrival of a baby
brother. Now she was fickle enough to prefer the baby, or at least to
behave as if she did. Still, she lavished much compassion in dumb-show
on John's swollen thumb, and wrapped it in a blue bag, until he became
so interested in the process that he quite forgot it was hurting. But
presently Baby stirred in his sleep, and Nurse being anxious to attend
to him, advised John to run out and play in the garden.

It was not strictly speaking kind, but at the same time it was very
natural conduct, that John should stand close outside the schoolroom
window making derisive faces at his two sisters, who were being
reluctantly introduced to the leading facts of English history. Betty
first noticed him, and broke into a loud giggle. Miss Thompson looked
up.

"If you are well enough to stand there grimacing in the sun, you are
well enough to come in and finish your lessons," was all she said.
John promptly fled out of sight round the corner.

CHAPTER II.

UNDER THE LABURNUM-TREE.

Within a few yards of the schoolroom window, but just out of sight,
stood a lar