Mabel Vaughan Author:Maria Susanna Cummins Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: nurse, appearing at the door, her face, at first pale, becoming quite red 18 she observed the presence of Mabel. ' Be quiet!' said Sirs. Leroy, in an imperati... more »ve voice to the girl; and going to the open door of the nursery, she demanded of Alick, in a severe tone, what new injury he had been doing his brother, adding, in the same breath,' I know you are always rude to him.' ' He's rude to me,' was the boy's surly reply. His mother, unsparing of words and threats, continued to reprove him, but he made no further apology, receiving her rebukes with indifference, not to say inattention, and deigning no answers to her inquiries into Ins behaviour. He found an advocate, however, in Lydia, who commenced at once,' Alick was not to blame, Mrs. Leroy,—' You need not tell me that, Lydia,' replied her mistress; ' I know who is always to blame in these quarrels.' ' He called me names,' muttered Murray, ' he did. He said I was a beggar!' ' I didn't!' retorted Alick, speaking bluntly, and between his teeth. No, ma'am,' exclaimed Lydia, earnestly. 'I was telling them what a good little sister I had at home; Alick said he should like to see her, ma'am, and I promised to take him there, if you had no objections. It was Murray himself who spoke of beggars. I'm sure Rosy is no beggar, and if my mother isn't rich, she is very respectable.' ' I said I didn't want to go and see any beggar girls, and no I don't,' said Murray,' and then Alick said I wasn't any better than a beggar myself. I am, ain't I, mother V ' Certainly, my dear. Alick, you are a bad boy to talk so to your brother,—and, Lydia, don't let me hear any more of this. Of course, you are not to take either of the boys to any low places. The children you are used to may be good children, and they may not, bul, at all eve...« less