Part 12 (1/2)
”I shall get the prize,” said Mervyn, ”you are not learning your lesson, you know.”
”No more are you,” cried Bunny; ”I'll learn mine up in a minute when Miss Kerr comes back, and you're as slow as an old snail at yours;”
and again she began to mimic his voice and manner of spelling.
”You're very rude,” cried Mervyn, getting red, ”and I'll just tell Miss Kerr when she comes back.”
”Tell-tale! tell-tale!” sang Bunny; ”much I care! If I know my lesson best I'll get the chocolate and I won't give you one bit.”
”You're a greedy thing! But you won't get it. I know my lesson splendidly, and you don't know yours at all, so I am sure to get the prize, I can tell you.”
”Ha, how grand you are, to be sure!” screamed Bunny, and stretching out her hand she tried to pull the chocolate box towards her.
”You sha'n't touch it! You sha'n't touch it!” shouted Mervyn; ”it isn't yours, so just leave it alone.”
”It isn't yours either,” cried Bunny with flaming cheeks, and she fastened her little fingers more firmly than ever round the box.
”I am sure to get it, so I shall keep it beside me till Miss Kerr comes back.”
”No, you sha'n't,” answered Mervyn in an angry voice, and jumping up on his chair he sprawled over the table and tried to drag the box from Bunny's hand.
”You nasty boy, let go! I'll tell Miss Kerr! I'll tell mama! You're a coward! You're a horrid--”
”Who's going to be tell-tale now?” shrieked the boy. ”Give it to me, I say, give it to me,” and he gave a vigorous pull at the box.
But the cardboard of which the chocolate box was composed was not strong enough to stand such pulling, and before the naughty children knew where they were it suddenly gave way and came to pieces in their hands. The beautiful prize was completely destroyed, and its whole contents were strewn all over the place.
”Now, see what you have done!” cried Bunny, bursting into tears; ”you have broken the box--oh dear, oh dear, you cross, nasty, greedy boy, I--”
”I didn't do it,” said Mervyn, but his voice was low and shaky, for all his anger disappeared when he saw the pretty box torn to pieces and the chocolate creams lying scattered about all over the table and floor.
”Yes, you did! If you hadn't pulled so hard it would have been all right,” said Bunny tearfully. ”Oh, what will Miss Kerr say? I think I'll run away to the nursery and hide. I shall be afraid to let her see me--”
”That would be cowardly,” answered Mervyn; ”I'm very sorry I pulled the box, and I'll stay here and tell her so;” and he went down on his knees and began to gather up the sweetmeats and put them into a sheet of paper.
”Don't eat any, Mervyn,” said Bunny, ”they look awfully nice, but--”
”Eat them!” exclaimed the boy indignantly, ”I should think not indeed! I am not so mean as that; I wouldn't--”
”Mean--is it mean?” cried Bunny, rubbing her mouth; ”oh, I didn't know, and I just took one--but Miss Kerr won't mind.”
”Well, you are nasty! You tell me not to eat them, and then you go and take some yourself. Go away, I won't speak to you or be friends with you any more; you're a mean--”
”Oh, Mervyn, Mervyn, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!” cried Bunny, flinging herself on her knees beside her cousin. ”I didn't want to take the chocolate cream, but it looked so nice, and I just longed to take it and--”
”Children! what are you doing?” cried Miss Kerr in astonishment as her eyes fell upon the two kneeling figures and she heard Bunny's miserable tone of voice; ”why are you on the floor? Come back to the table at once.”
”Bunny,” whispered Mervyn, ”we must tell Miss Kerr now what we have done;” and springing to his feet he caught the little girl by the hand and dragged her over to the other side of the room, where the governess had seated herself, ready to begin lessons again.
”We have been very naughty,” he began, looking down at the floor; ”we didn't learn our lessons--and--we--broke--the box--and spilt all the chocolates--but we are very sorry, indeed we are,” and he raised his blue eyes full of tears to Miss Kerr's face.