a heart,
and each of us boys had a knife bought out of the housekeeping (I mean
housekeeper's own) money.

Bill Simpkins is happy as sub-under-gardener to Albert's uncle's lady's
mother. They do keep three gardeners--I knew they did. And our tramp
still earns enough to sleep well on from our dear old Pig-man.

Our last three days were entirely filled up with visits of farewell
sympathy to all our many friends who were so sorry to lose us. We
promised to come and see them next year. I hope we shall.

Denny and Daisy went back to live with their father at Forest Hill. I
don't think they'll ever be again the victims of the Murdstone aunt--who
is really a great-aunt and about twice as much in the autumn of her days
as our new Albert's uncle aunt. I think they plucked up spirit enough to
tell their father they didn't like her--which they'd never thought of
doing before. Our own robber says their holidays in the country did them
both a great deal of good. And he says us Bastables have certainly
taught Daisy and Denny the rudiments of the art of making home happy. I
believe they have thought of several quite new naughty things entirely
on their own--and done them too--since they came back from the Moat
House.

I wish you didn't grow up so quickly. Oswald can see that ere long he
will be too old for the kind of games we can all play, and he feels
grown-upness creeping inordiously upon him. But enough of this.

And now, gentle reader, farewell. If anything in these chronicles of the
Wouldbegoods should make you try to be good yourself, the author will be
very glad, of course. But take my advice and don't make a society for
trying in. It is much easier without.

And do try to forget that Oswald has another name besides Bastable. The
one beginning with C., I mean. Perhaps you have not noticed what it was.
If so, don't look back for it. It is a name no manly boy would like to
be called by--if he spoke the truth. Oswald is said to be a very manly
boy, and he despises that name, and will never give it to his own son
when he has one. Not if a rich relative offered to leave him an immense
fortune if he did. Oswald would still be firm. He would, on the honor of
the House of Bastable.

THE END

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wouldbegoods, by E. Nesbit

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