eddle with other folks' affairs, but that our mother was very
angry, dangerously angry, he said, and he begged me to obey Mr. Ward,
and specially to press George to do so."

"Let him manage his own house, not mine," says George, very haughtily.
And the caution, far from benefiting him, only rendered the lad more
supercilious and refractory.

On the next day the storm broke, and vengeance fell on the little
rebel's head. Words passed between George and Mr. Ward during the
morning study. The boy was quite insubordinate and unjust: even his
faithful brother cried out, and owned that he was in the wrong. Mr. Ward
kept his temper--to compress, bottle up, cork down, and prevent your
anger from present furious explosion, is called keeping your temper--and
said he should speak upon this business to Madam Esmond. When the family
met at dinner, Mr. Ward requested her ladyship to stay, and, temperately
enough, laid the subject of dispute before her.

He asked Master Harry to confirm what he had said: and poor Harry was
obliged to admit all the dominie's statements.

George, standing under his grandfather's portrait by the chimney, said
haughtily that what Mr. Ward had said was perfectly correct.

"To be a tutor to such a pupil is absurd," said Mr. Ward, making a long
speech, interspersed with many of his usual Scripture phrases, at each
of which, as they occurred, that wicked young George smiled, and pished
scornfully, and at length Ward ended by asking her honour's leave to
retire.

"Not before you have punished this wicked and disobedient child," said
Madam Esmond, who had been gathering anger during Ward's harangue, and
especially at her son's behaviour.

"Punish!" says George.

"Yes, sir, punish! If means of love and entreaty fail, as they have with
your proud heart, other means must be found to bring you to obedience.
I punish you now, rebellious boy, to guard you from greater punishment
hereafter. The discipline of this family must be maintained. There can
be but one command in a house, and I must be the mistress of mine. You
will punish this refractory boy, Mr. Ward, as we have agreed that you
should do, and if there is the least resistance on his part, my overseer
and servants will lend you aid."

In some such words the widow no doubt must have spoken, but with many
vehement Scriptural allusions, which it does not become this
chronicler to copy. To be for ever applying to the Sacred Oracles, and
accommodating th