The Crofton Boys | Page 7

to fish up Jane's
work out of the water-butt. As he had put it in, he was the proper
person to get it out. He thought he should have liked the fun of it; but
now he was in a great hurry back, to hear Mr. Tooke talk. It really
seemed as if the shirt-collar was alive, it always slipped away so when
he thought he had it. Jane kept him to the job till he brought up her
work, dripping and soiled. By that time tea was ready,--an early tea,
because Mr. Tooke had to go away. Whatever was said at tea was about
politics, and about a new black dye which some chemist had discovered;
and Mr. Tooke went away directly after.
He turned round full upon Hugh, just as he was going. Hugh stepped

back, for it flashed upon him that he was now to be asked how much
four times seven was. But Mr. Tooke only shook hands with him, and
bade him grow older as fast as he could.
CHAPTER II.
WHY MR. TOOKE CAME.
After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr.
Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day
being finished. He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or
half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance
to the music of his violin. Little Harry had been known to be kept up
far too late, that he might hear the violin, and that his papa might enjoy
the fun of seeing him run about among the rest, putting them all out,
and fancying he was dancing. All believed there would be time for play
with papa to-night, tea had been so much earlier than usual. But Agnes
soon feared there would be no play for Hugh. Though Jane pored over
her German, twisting her forefinger in the particular curl which she
always twisted when she was deep in her lessons; though Agnes rocked
herself on her chair, as she always did when she was learning by heart;
and though Mrs. Proctor kept Harry quiet at the other end of the room
with telling him long stories, in a very low voice, about the elephant
and Brighton pier, in the picture-book, Hugh could not learn his capital
cities. He even spoke out twice, and stopped himself when he saw all
the heads in the room raised in surprise. Then he set himself to work
again, and he said "Copenhagen" so often over that he was not likely to
forget the word; but what country it belonged to he could not fix in his
mind, though Agnes wrote it down large on the slate, in hopes that the
sight of the letters would help him to remember. Before he had got on
to "Constantinople," the well-known sound was heard of the shop-boy
taking the shop-shutters out of their day-place, and Mr. Proctor would
certainly be coming presently. Jane closed her dictionary, and shook
back her curls from over her eyes; Mrs. Proctor put down Harry from
her lap, and let him call for papa as loud as he would; and papa came
bustling in, and gave Harry a long toss, and several topplings over his

shoulder, and yet Hugh was not ready.
"Come, children," said Mr. Proctor to Agnes and Hugh, "we have all
done enough for to-day. Away with books and slates!"
"But, papa," said Agnes, "Hugh has not quite done. If he might have
just five minutes more, Miss Harold----"
"Never mind what Miss Harold says! That is, you girls must; but
between this and Michaelmas----"
He stopped short, and the girls saw that it was a sign from their mother
that made him do so. He immediately proceeded to make so much
noise with Harry, that Hugh discovered nothing more than that he
might put away his books, and not mind Miss Harold this time. If she
asked him to-morrow why he had not got down to "Constantinople," he
could tell her exactly what his father had said. So, merry was Hugh's
play this evening. He stood so perfectly upright on his father's
shoulders, that he could reach the top of his grandmamma's picture, and
show by his finger-ends how thick the dust lay upon the frame: and
neither he nor his father minded being told that he was far too old for
such play.
In the midst of the fun, Hugh had a misgiving, more than once, of his
mother having something severe to say to him when she should come
up to his room, to hear him say his prayer, and to look back a