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Message: <blockquote data-quote="tzhfsh6" data-source="post: 11447050" data-attributes="member: 380662">〈Eight Cousins〉Serial•Ear-Rings-2"Then I will," and, to the dismay of both recreant lads, Dr. Alecwalked out of the room to offer his services to the "chit."He was too late, however, for Mac, obeying a look from Rose, hadalready made a victim of himself, and trudged meekly away,wishing the gentle Ariadne at the bottom of the Red Sea.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Then I will take this lady down to tea, as the other one has founda gentleman to go home with her. I see the lamps are lightedbelow, and I smell a smell which tells me that auntie hassomething extra nice for us to-night."As he spoke, Dr. Alec was preparing to carry Rose downstairs asusual; but Archie and Prince rushed forward, begging with penitenteagerness for the honour of carrying her in an arm-chair. Roseconsented, fearing that her uncle's keen eye would discover thefatal bits of silk; so the boys crossed hands, and, taking a good gripof each curly pate, she was borne down in state, while the othersfollowed by way of the banisters.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]Tea was ordered earlier than usual, so that Jamie and his dollycould have a taste, at least, of the holiday fun, for they were to staytill seven, and be allowed twelve roasted chestnuts apiece, whichthey were under bonds not to eat till next day.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]Tea was despatched rapidly, therefore, and the party gatheredround the wide hearth in the dining-room, where the nuts weresoon dancing gaily on hot shovels or bouncing out among thecompany, thereby causing delightful panics among the little ones.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Come, Rosy, tell us a story while we work, for you can't helpmuch, and must amuse us as your share," proposed Mac, who satin the shade pricking nuts, and who knew by experience what acapital little Scheherazade his cousin was.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Yes, we poor monkeys can't burn our paws for nothing, so tellaway, Pussy," added Charlie, as he threw several hot nuts into herlap and shook his fingers afterwards.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Well, I happen to have a little story with a moral to it in my mind,and I will tell it, though it is intended for younger children thanyou," answered Rose, who was rather fond of telling instructivetales.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Fire away," said Geordie, and she obeyed, little thinking what adisastrous story it would prove to herself.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Well, once upon a time, a little girl went to see a young lady whowas very fond of her. Now, the young lady happened to be lame,and had to have her foot bandaged up every day; so she kept abasketful of bandages, all nicely rolled and ready. The little girlliked to play with this basket, and one day, when she thought noone saw her, she took one of the rolls without asking leave, and putit in her pocket."Here Pokey, who had been peering lovingly down at the five warmnuts that lay at the bottom of her tiny pocket, suddenly looked upand said, "Oh!" in a startled tone, as if the moral tale had becomeintensely interesting all at once.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]Rose heard and saw the innocent betrayal of the small sinner, andwent on in a most impressive manner, while the boys nudged oneanother and winked as they caught the joke.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"But an eye did see this naughty little girl, and whose eye do youthink it was?""Eye of Dod," murmured conscience-stricken Pokey, spreadingtwo chubby little hands before the round face, which they were nothalf big enough to hide.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]Rose was rather taken aback by this reply, but, feeling that she wasproducing a good effect, she added seriously"Yes, God saw her, and so did the young lady, but she did not sayanything; she waited to see what the little girl would do about it.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]She had been very happy before she took the bandage, but when itwas in her pocket she seemed troubled, and pretty soon stoppedplaying, and sat down in a corner looking very sober. She thoughta few minutes, and then went and put back the roll very softly, andher face cleared up, and she was a happy child again. The younglady was glad to see that, and wondered what made the little girlput it back.""Tonscience p'icked her," murmured a contrite voice from behindthe small hands pressed tightly over Pokey's red face.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"And why did she take it, do you suppose?" asked Rose, in aschool-marmish tone, feeling that all the listeners were interestedin her tale and its unexpected application.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"It was so nice and wound, and she wanted it deffly," answered thelittle voice.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Well, I'm glad she had such a good conscience. The moral is thatpeople who steal don't enjoy what they take, and are not happy tillthey put it back. What makes that little girl hide her face?" askedRose, as she concluded.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Me's so 'shamed of Pokey," sobbed the small culprit, quiteovercome by remorse and confusion at this awful disclosure.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Come, Rose, it's too bad to tell her little tricks before everyone,and preach at her in that way; you wouldn't like it yourself," beganDr. Alec, taking the weeper on his knee and administeringconsolation in the shape of kisses and nuts.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]Before Rose could express her regret, Jamie, who had beenreddening and ruffling like a little turkey-cock for several minutes,burst out indignantly, bent on avenging the wound given to hisbeloved dolly.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"I know something bad that you did, and I'm going to tell right out.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]You thought we didn't see you, but we did, and you said unclewouldn't like it, and the boys would tease, and you made Ariadnepromise not to tell, and she punched holes in your ears to putear-rings in. So now! and that's much badder than to take an oldpiece of rag; and I hate you for making my Pokey cry."Jamie's somewhat incoherent explosion produced such an effectthat Pokey's small sin was instantly forgotten, and Rose felt thather hour had come.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"What! what! what!" cried the boys in a chorus, dropping theirshovels and knives to gather round Rose, for a guilty clutching ather ears betrayed her, and with a feeble cry of "Ariadne made me!"she hid her head among the pillows like an absurd little ostrich.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Now she'll go prancing round with bird cages and baskets andcarts and pigs, for all I know, in her ears, as the other girls do, andwon't she look like a goose?" asked one tormentor, tweaking a curlthat strayed out from the cushions.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"I didn't think she'd be so silly," said Mac, in a tone ofdisappointment that told Rose she had sunk in the esteem of herwise cousin.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"That Blish girl is a nuisance, and ought not to be allowed to comehere with her nonsensical notions," said the Prince, feeling a strongdesire to shake that young person as an angry dog might shake amischievous kitten.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"How do you like it, uncle?" asked Archie, who, being the head ofa family himself, believed in preserving discipline at all costs.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"I am very much surprised; but I see she is a girl, after all, andmust have her vanities like all the rest of them," answered Dr.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]Alec, with a sigh, as if he had expected to find Rose a sort ofangel, above all earthly temptations.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"What shall you do about it, sir?" inquired Geordie, wonderingwhat punishment would be inflicted on a feminine culprit.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"As she is fond of ornaments, perhaps we had better give her anose-ring also. I have one somewhere that a Fiji belle once wore;I'll look it up," and, leaving Pokey to Jamie's care, Dr. Alec rose asif to carry out his suggestion in earnest.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]"Good! good! We'll do it right away! Here's a gimlet, so you holdher, boys, while I get her dear little nose all ready," cried Charlie,whisking away the pillow as the other boys danced about the sofain true Fiji style.[FONT=宋体]　　[/FONT]It was a dreadful moment, for Rose could not run away she couldonly grasp her precious nose with one hand and extend the other,crying distractedly"O uncle, save me, save me!"Of course he saved her; and when she was securely barricaded byhis strong arm, she confessed her folly in such humiliation ofspirit, that the lads, after a good laugh at her, decided to forgiveher and lay all the blame on the tempter, Ariadne. Even Dr. Alecrelented so far as to propose two gold rings for the ears instead ofone copper one for the nose; a proceeding which proved that ifRose had all the weakness of her sex for jewellery, he had all theinconsistency of his in giving a pretty penitent exactly what shewanted, spite of his better judgment.</blockquote>

Verification: Haya warak paha keeyada? (haya wadi kireema paha)

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