Hetty Wesley Author:Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch 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: II SHE moved across the green to the corner where Charles was coolly sponging his face and chest over a basin. " In a moment, ma'am," said he, looking up with... more » a twinkle in his eye as the boys made way for her. She read the meaning of it and smiled at her own mistake as she drew back the hand she had put out to take the sponge from him. He was her youngest, and she had seen him but twice since, at the age of eight, he had left home for Westminster School. In spite of the evidence of her eyes he was a small child still — until his voice warned her. She drew back her hand at once. Boys scorn any show of feeling, even between mother and son, and Charles should not be ridiculed on her account. So he sponged away and she waited, remembering how she had taught him, when turned a year old, to cry softly after a whipping. Ten children she had brought up in a far Lincolnshire parsonage, and without sparing the rod; but none had been allowed to disturb their father in his study where he sat annotating the Scriptures or turning an heroic couplet or adding up his tangled household accounts. A boy pushed through the group around the basin, with news that Butcher Randall had come-to from his swoon and wished to shake hands: and almost before Charlescould pick up a towel and dry himself the fallen champion appeared with a somewhat bartered grin. " No malice," he mumbled: "nasty knock—better luck next time." " Come, I say," protested Charles, shaking hands and pulling a mock face, " is there going to be a next time ?" "Well, you don't suppose I'm convinced—" Randall began: but Mrs. Wesley broke in with a laugh. " There's old England for you! " She brought her mittened palms together as if to clap them, but they rested together in the very gesture of prayer. "' Won't be conv...« less