Part 15 (1/2)
”The Cottons are all right,” retorted Davy. ”And they have far better times than we have. They do just as they please and say just what they like before everybody. _I_'m going to do that, too, after this.”
”There are lots of things you wouldn't dare say before everybody,”
averred Dora.
”No, there isn't.”
”There is, too. Would you,” demanded Dora gravely, ”would you say 'tomcat' before the minister?”
This was a staggerer. Davy was not prepared for such a concrete example of the freedom of speech. But one did not have to be consistent with Dora.
”Of course not,” he admitted sulkily.
”'Tomcat' isn't a holy word. I wouldn't mention such an animal before a minister at all.”
”But if you had to?” persisted Dora.
”I'd call it a Thomas p.u.s.s.y,” said Davy.
”_I_ think 'gentleman cat' would be more polite,” reflected Dora.
”YOU thinking!” retorted Davy with withering scorn.
Davy was not feeling comfortable, though he would have died before he admitted it to Dora. Now that the exhilaration of truant delights had died away, his conscience was beginning to give him salutary twinges.
After all, perhaps it would have been better to have gone to Sunday School and church. Mrs. Lynde might be bossy; but there was always a box of cookies in her kitchen cupboard and she was not stingy. At this inconvenient moment Davy remembered that when he had torn his new school pants the week before, Mrs. Lynde had mended them beautifully and never said a word to Marilla about them.
But Davy's cup of iniquity was not yet full. He was to discover that one sin demands another to cover it. They had dinner with Mrs. Lynde that day, and the first thing she asked Davy was,
”Were all your cla.s.s in Sunday School today?”
”Yes'm,” said Davy with a gulp. ”All were there--'cept one.”
”Did you say your Golden Text and catechism?”
”Yes'm.”
”Did you put your collection in?”
”Yes'm.”
”Was Mrs. Malcolm MacPherson in church?”
”I don't know.” This, at least, was the truth, thought wretched Davy.
”Was the Ladies' Aid announced for next week?”
”Yes'm”--quakingly.
”Was prayer-meeting?”
”I--I don't know.”