old it
steady, he began cutting away with the huge knife. The part of the
weapon he used was not very sharp, and as the leather yielded, he at
first made no impression; at last he made a dig at the ball with the
point of the knife, which quickly penetrated it, producing a wide gash.
Out rushed the wind faster and faster, as he pressed down his foot, till
the coating of leather and the thin bladder inside had become perfectly
flat. He took it up wondering at the result, and shook it and told it
to get fat again, but all to no purpose. He felt very much inclined to
cry, when somehow or other he discovered, that he had done a very
foolish thing, but he was not accustomed to blame himself.

"Papa ought to have brought me a different sort of ball, which would not
grow thin just because I happen to stick a knife into it," he muttered
to himself.

Again he threw down what had once been a ball, and stamped on it, and
abused it for not doing as he told it. At last he began to think that
the knife, which he supposed was his grandmamma's, might be missed and
that she would scold him for carrying it away. Taking up the leather
therefore, and finding that no one was near, he returned. On his way
seeing a thick bush, he threw the case into it--for he was somewhat
ashamed of letting his father know the folly of which he had been
guilty.

As no one had yet come down, he replaced the knife among the articles
from which he had taken it, and ran up to his room. When he came back
he found Fanny in the drawing-room reading, she told him that their
granny and papa and mamma had gone in to dinner.

"Cannot you do something to amuse me?" he asked.

"Willingly," she answered, putting aside her own book, and she read some
stories to him out of one of the picture-books.

Susan came shortly to call the children to their tea, and they then went
down to dessert in the dining-room.

"Well, my boy, are you inclined to have another game at football before
you go to bed?" asked Captain Vallery.

"No," answered Norman, not liking the question, "I do not want to play
any more to-day."

"I thought you seemed so pleased with your football, that you would
never get tired of it," observed Mrs Vallery.

Norman made no answer.

The ladies rose from the table, and Captain Vallery soon joined them in
the drawing-room, they then strolled out on to the lawn to enjoy the
cool air of that lovely summer evening.

"Go and get your football, Norma