cocoanut lasted, he was employed to his satisfaction; but when that
was finished, he was again at a loss for something to do. He tried
walking round the room on one leg, working heel and toe, and that
succeeded very well, and did no harm till he unluckily came to the
drawing-table, when he immediately brought himself to a stand on both
feet.

'Hallo!' cried he, 'here's a daub! Is this your splendid performance,
Will?'

'No,' replied Willy, 'it is Margaret's; and mind you don't touch it by
accident, because it is wet.'

'Touch it by accident!' exclaimed Geoffrey; 'I am going to touch it on
purpose. I wonder Margaret is not ashamed to do it so badly. I'll
improve it for her. How kind of me!'

Poor Willy, in dismay, tried to secure the drawing, but he could not
move from his sofa, and Geoffrey danced round him, holding it at
arm's-length. Then Willy caught at the bell-rope, but his mischievous
cousin snatched it quicker, and tied it up out of his reach. Willy
called all the servants as loud as he could, but no one was within
hearing; and he threw himself back on his sofa, in despair, exclaiming,
'How can you be so ill-natured, when Margaret is always so kind to you?'

'Ill-natured!' answered the other; 'I'm doing her a favor. She admired
the moonlight in the Diorama; now I shall make just such a moon in her
drawing.' And while he spoke, a great yellow moon, like a guinea, rose
in the midst of poor Margaret's brilliant sunset.

'That's the thing,' said Geoffrey; 'and now I shall put the cow jumping
over it, and the little dog laughing to see such sport. Some figures
always improve the foreground.'

'Oh, you have quite spoilt it!' cried Willy. 'How I wish I could stop
you! I cannot imagine how you can like to be so mischievous and
disagreeable. Oh, if Margaret would but come back.'

At last Margaret came, and the troublesome Geoffrey expected great
amusement from her displeasure; but he was disappointed. Margaret was
one of those generous people who never resent an injury done to
themselves. If Geoffrey had spoilt any body else's drawing, she would
have been the first to punish him; but now she was much more vexed at
Willy's distress than at the destruction of her own work, and instead of
scolding Geoffrey, she gave herself up to consoling Willy. She assured
him that there was no great harm done. She said the drawing was good for
very little, and that she would copy it and improve it so much that he
should be quit