t it in him, and you can't get it out."

"Who are you talking about, Maria," said the old lady testily.

"That boy," said Maria, shaking her head. "It's of no good, he's got it
in him, and nothing won't get it out."

"Bless my heart!" cried Mrs Millett, thinking first of mustard and
water, and then of castor-oil, "has the poor fellow swallowed
something?"

"No-o-o-o!" ejaculated Maria, drawing the word out to nearly a foot in
length.

"But you said he'd got something in him, Maria. Good gracious me, girl!
what do you mean!"

"Sin and wickedness, Mrs Millett. He comes of a bad lot, and Dan'l
says he's always keeping bad company."

"Dan'l's a chattering old woman, and had better mind his slugs and
snails."

"But the boy's always in mischief; see how he spoiled your silk dress."

"Only spotted it, Maria, and it was clean water. I certainly thought it
rained as I went under his window."

"Yes, and you fetched your umbrella."

"I did, Maria. But he's better now. Give him his physic regular, and
it does him good."

"Did you find out what was the matter with those salts and senny!"

"No, Maria, I did not. I had to break the glass to get it out; set hard
as a stone. It was a good job he did not take it."

Mrs Millett never did find out that Dexter had poured in cement till
the glass would hold no more, and his medicine became a solid lump.

"Ah, you'll be tired of him soon," said Maria.

"No, I don't think I shall, Maria. You see he's a boy, and he does
behave better. Since I told him not, he hasn't taken my basting-spoon
to melt lead for what he calls nickers; and then he hasn't repeated that
wicked cruel trick of sitting on the wall."

"Why, I see him striddling the ridge of the old stable, with his back to
the weathercock, only yesterday."

"Yes, Maria, but he wasn't fishing over the wall with worms to try and
catch Mrs Biggins's ducks, a very cruel trick which he promised me he
wouldn't do any more; and he hasn't pretended to be a cat on the roof,
nor yet been to me to extract needles which he had stuck through his
cheeks out of mischief; and I haven't seen him let himself down from the
stable roof with a rope; and, as I told him, that clothes-line wasn't
rope."

"Ah, you always sided with the boy, Mrs Millett," said Maria; "but mark
my words, some of these mornings we shall get up and find that he has
let burglars into the house, and Master and Miss Helen will be robbed
and murdered in th