blessing--aye, and your mother's too, go with you! Now then," after a
pause, "go and call Richard. I want him to write to Ernescliffe about
that naval school. You must take your leave of the Whichcote foundation
on Friday. I shall go and give Dr. Hoxton notice tomorrow, and get Tom's
name down instead."

And when the name of Thomas May was set down, Dr. Hoxton expressed his
trust that it would pass through the school as free from the slightest
blemish as those of Richard, Norman, and Harry May.

Now that Harry's destiny was fixed, Ethel began to think of Cocksmoor
again, and she accomplished another walk there with Richard, Flora, and
Mary, to question Granny Hall about the children's failure.

The old woman's reply was a tissue of contradictions: the girls were
idle hussies, all contrary: they plagued the very life out of her, and
she represented herself as using the most frightful threats, if they
would not go to school. Breaking every bone in their skin was the least
injury she promised them; till Mary, beginning to think her a cruel old
woman, took hold of her brother's coat-tails for protection.

"But I am afraid, Mrs. Hall," said Richard, in that tone which might be
either ironical or simple, "if you served them so, they would never be
able to get to school at all, poor things."

"Bless you, sir, d'ye think I'd ever lay a finger near them; it's only
the way one must talk to children, you see," said she, patronising his
inexperience.

"Perhaps they have found that out," said Richard. Granny looked much
entertained, and laughed triumphantly and shrewdly, "ay, ay, that they
have, the lasses--they be sharp enough for anything, that they be. Why,
when I tell little Jenny that there's the black man coming after her,
what does she do but she ups and says, 'Granny, I know 'tis only the
wind in the chimney.'"

"Then I don't think it seems to answer," said Richard. "Just suppose you
were to try for once, really punishing them when they won't obey you,
perhaps they would do it next time."

"Why, sir, you see I don't like to take the stick to them; they've got
no mother, you see, sir."

Mary thought her a kind grandmother, and came out from behind her
brother.

"I think it would be kinder to do it for once. What do you think they
will do as they grow older, if you don't keep them in order when they
are little?"

This was foresight beyond Granny Hall, who began to expatiate on the
troubles she had undergone in th