Barbara in Brittany | Page 3

the silver buttons had been cut
off."
There was a gasp of astonishment, and Barbara was just about to scorn
the notion that any of the children could have been concerned in the
matter, when her eyes fell on Dick's face. Miss Britton was looking in
the same direction.
"I should think that little boy knows something about it," she said.
"Dick!" Mrs. Britton exclaimed, for he was usually the least apt of the
three to get into mischief.
"Dick, what did you do it for? Tell us why you did it?" Barbara
questioned eagerly, and the little boy was just about to reply when Miss
Britton spoke again.
"I should think he had no reason at all except wanton mischief. Perhaps
he used the buttons for marbles; there cannot be any real reason for
such a silly deed, though he may make one up. Well, why did you do
it?"
Barbara saw the obstinate expression that they dreaded creeping over
the little boy's face at her aunt's words, and knew that now they would
probably get nothing satisfactory from him; but she was not quite
prepared for the answer that came so defiantly.
"I did it for ornament, of course."
There was silence for a moment; then Mrs. Britton sent the little boy to
the nursery to stay there till he was sent for.
"I am so sorry, Anne," she said in distress. "I cannot think what has
made him do it."
"It is just the result of your upbringing. I always said you were absurdly

indulgent to the children."
Then, because Barbara was sure that Dick had had some other reason
that would perhaps have explained his action, and because she saw
tears in her mother's eyes, and knew how lonely and tired she often felt,
and how anxious about the welfare of the children and the care of the
house, she turned wrathfully upon her aunt.
"You have no right to criticise mother like that, Aunt Anne, and, of
course, she knows a great deal more about bringing up children than
you do. If you had not interfered, Dick would have given the proper
reason, and, certainly, if we do what we shouldn't it's our fault, not
mother's."
At this there were confirmatory nods from the children, who continued
to gaze in startled, but admiring, astonishment at Barbara, whose
politeness was usually their example, and whom they hardly recognised
in this new role. They awaited--they knew not what--from their aunt,
but except for a horrified cry of "Barbara!" from Mrs. Britton, the girl's
outburst was received in silence, her aunt merely shrugging her
shoulders and continuing her breakfast. The children finished theirs in
uncomfortable silence, then slipped quietly away.
"Well!" Donald said ruefully, when Frances and he had climbed into
the apple-tree where they usually discussed matters of importance. "She
did look fine, didn't she? But I'm afraid she's done it now. Aunt will
clear out soon enough, I should think, and Barbe will just be as sorry as
can be to have flared out like that at a guest, and father's sister too."
In that last supposition Donald was quite right, for Mrs. Britton needed
to say nothing to make Barbara feel very much ashamed of herself. But
in his conclusion about his aunt he was quite wrong, for, to the
children's astonishment, Miss Britton showed no signs of speedy
departure. Indeed, later in the day, the children felt honesty demanded
they must own her to be "rather a brick," for she accepted Barbara's
apology with good grace, and said that though, of course, she had been
rude, she would not deny that there had been some provocation, and
that if Barbara could find out anything more from Dick, she would be

glad to hear of it.
It was then, after much manoeuvring, that the girl got to the truth of the
matter, which Dick related with tears. He had taken the buttons for
mother, he said. When he was out with her the other day they had
looked for quite a long time at some beautiful silver ones, and when he
asked his mother why she did not buy them, she had said she had not
enough money just then. They were very like the kind on Aunt Anne's
blouse, and having noticed that she did not use half of them to button it
up, Dick had not seen any reason why they should be left on--although
he had meant to tell her what he had done immediately after breakfast.
Miss Britton accepted the explanation, and said she thought there was
no need for the culprit to be punished this time, and she hoped he
would have more sense soon. But about Barbara she had something of
more importance to communicate.
"In my opinion," she said, in