"
"He meant it though," was all Sam's answer. "Don't hinder me."
"Well, I've no notion of being bound by what people mean," continued
Hal; and no one could imagine the torment he made himself, neither
going nor staying, arguing the matter with his elder brother, as if
Sam's coming would justify him, and interrupting everyone; till at
last Miss Fosbrook gathered all her spirit, and ordered him either to
sit down and learn properly at once, or to go quite away. She was
very much vexed, for Henry had been the most obliging and good-
natured of all at first, and likely to be fond of her; but such a
great talker could not fail to be weak, and his vanity had been set
against her. He looked saucy at first, and much inclined to resist;
if he had seen any sympathy for him in Sam he might have done so, but
Miss Fosbrook's steady eye was too much for him, so he saved his
dignity, as he thought, by exclaiming, "I'm sure I don't want to stay
in this stuffy hole with such a set of owls; I shall go to Purday."
And off he marched.
The others stayed, and said their Collects and Catechism very
respectably, all but John, who had not learned the Collect at all,
and was sent into another room to finish it, to which he made no
resistance; he had had enough of actual fighting with Miss Fosbrook.
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