after my accident I had no particular adventures. I lived
in peace and plenty, and amused myself with watching the family. They
were all amiable and easy to understand, except Geoffrey; but he was a
complete puzzle to me, and it was long before I could make out why he
was so different from the rest.

The others all seemed to like to help and please one another, but
Geoffrey never seemed happy unless he was making himself disagreeable.
If Willy was interested in a book, he was obliged to sit upon the second
volume, or Geoffrey would be sure to run away with it. If Edward was in
a hurry to go out, Geoffrey would hide his cap, and keep him a quarter
of an hour hunting for it. The girls dared not leave their worsted-work
within his reach for a moment; for he would unravel the canvass, or chop
up the wool, or go on with the work after a pattern of his own
composing, so that they would be obliged to spend half an hour in
unpicking his cobbling.

Margaret remonstrated with him in private, and made excuses for him in
public, and did her best to prevent his tiresome tricks from annoying
Willy; Edward tried rougher means of keeping him in order, which
sometimes succeeded; but still he could find plenty of opportunities of
being a torment: people always can when such is their taste.

One day Margaret was keeping Willy company, while the rest of the party
were gone to the Zoological Gardens. She had brought a drawing to
finish, as he liked to see her draw, and was sometimes useful in
suggesting improvements. But while they were thus employed, Margaret was
summoned to some visitors, and went away, saying that her drawing would
just have time to dry before she returned.

But unfortunately, during her absence, Geoffrey came home. He had grown
tired of the Gardens, which he had seen very often, and rather hungry,
as he generally was; so after amusing himself by eating the cakes he had
bought for the bear, he had nothing more to do, and tried to persuade
his cousins to be tired also. But Edward was making himself agreeable to
the monkeys, Rose was cultivating the friendship of the elephant, and
their Papa and Mama were waiting to see the hippopotamus bathe; so that
Geoffrey's proposals of leaving the Gardens were scouted, and he could
only obtain leave from his uncle to go home by himself.

He entered the room, as usual, with his mouth full, having spent his
last penny in a piece of cocoanut as he came along the streets. While
the