The resultant expression of countenance admirably expressed the general juvenile view of Miss Smellie and all her works.
Spurred to honourable emulation, the boy strove to excel.

Using both hands for the elongation of his eyes, the extension of his mouth, and the depression of his ears, he turned upon the Haddock so horrible a mask that the stricken child burst into a howl, if not into actual tears.
"What's the matter, Haddon ?" demanded Miss Smellie, looking up with quick suspicion.
"Dam made a _fathe_ at me," whimpered the smitten one.
"Say 'made a grimace' not 'made a face,'" corrected Miss Smellie.
"Only God can make _faces_." Dam exploded.
"At what are you laughing, Damocles ?" she asked sternly.
"Nothing, Miss Smellie.

What you said sounded rather funny and a little irrevilent or is it irrembrant ?" "Damocles! Should _I_ be likely to say anything Irreverent?
Should _I_ ever dream of Irreverence?
What _can_ you mean?
And never let me see you make faces again." "I didn't let you see me, Miss Smellie, and only God can make faces--" "Leave the room at once, Sir, I shall report your impudence to your great-uncle," hissed Miss Smellie, rising in wrath--and the bad abandoned boy had attained his object.

Detention in the nursery for a Sunday afternoon was no part of his programme.
Most unobtrusively Lucille faded away also.
"_Isn't_ she a hopeless beast," murmured she as the door closed.
"Utter rotter," admitted the boy.

"Let's slope out into the garden and dig some worms for bait." "Yes," agreed Lucille, and added, "Parse _Smellie,_" whereupon, with one voice and heart and purpose the twain broke into a paean, not of praise--a kind of tribal lay, and chanted:-- "_Smellie_--Very common noun, absurd person, singular back number, tutor gender, objectionable case governed by the word _I_," and so _da capo_.
And yet the poor lady strove to do her duty in that station of life in which it had pleased Providence (or a drunken father) to place her--and to make the children "genteel".