Mrs Norton
had put on, that the injury could not be very severe, insisted that
Norman should accompany her.

"You will soon, I hope, Norman, go to school, where you will have other
boys to play with," observed Mrs Vallery, as she led him downstairs.

She felt that the child was left too much alone by himself, and that if
placed with companions of his own age, they would assist to correct some
of his many faults. "If his papa consents to send him to school, he
will at all events not be permitted there to have his own way, as he has
hitherto been," she said to herself, and she determined to try and get
Captain Vallery to select a school as soon as possible, knowing well
that Mrs Leslie would support her.

As it was Norman's left hand which had been hurt, he was very well able
to hold a battledore, and after playing with his mamma a short time, he
recovered his usual spirits, and appeared totally to forget how naughty
he had been. He wondered that nobody had asked him how he had cut his
finger, or spoke to him about Miss Lucy, not understanding the forgiving
spirit which had induced Fanny to refrain from speaking of his conduct.

"Perhaps she is afraid of saying anything about it, because she slapped
my face," he thought.

At last, Mrs Vallery went in to get ready for dinner.

Fanny found Norman who had been sent into the drawing-room to put the
battledores and shuttlecock away.

"How is your finger?" she asked, in a pitying tone.

"Oh, it smarts very much," he answered, "though I do not think you care
much about it."

"Indeed, I do, dear Norman," she said; "you do not know how sorry I am
that I slapped your face, and granny has given me some salve and some
soft linen to bind up your finger again, and if you will come here, I
will try and do it very gently, and not hurt you."

Fanny sat down in her granny's chair. Taking off the wrapping which
Mrs Norton had put on, and which was somewhat stained with blood, she
replaced it with a nice soft piece covered with salve, which felt very
cool, and soon took away all the pain.

Having done this Fanny affectionately kissed him.

"You will forgive me for slapping your face, won't you, dear brother?"
she said, "you know I could not help feeling angry, when I saw that you
had spoilt my beautiful doll; but I do not want you to be punished, and
so I have not told anybody except Mrs Norton, and she found it out of
herself."

"You are afraid of being punished for slapp