I'm sure a finer disposition than yours by nature could not be, if you'd let it have fair play: so you've no excuse that way.' While she thus remonstrated, I took up a book, and laying it open on the table before me, pretended to be deeply absorbed in its perusal, for I was equally unable to justify myself and unwilling to acknowledge my errors; and I wished to have nothing to say on the matter.

But my excellent parent went on lecturing, and then came to coaxing, and began to stroke my hair; and I was getting to feel quite a good boy, but my mischievous brother, who was idling about the room, revived my corruption by suddenly calling out,--'Don't touch him, mother! he'll bite! He's a very tiger in human form.

I've given him up for my part--fairly disowned him--cast him off, root and branch.

It's as much as my life is worth to come within six yards of him.

The other day he nearly fractured my skull for singing a pretty, inoffensive love-song, on purpose to amuse him.' 'Oh, Gilbert! how could you ?' exclaimed my mother.
'I told you to hold your noise first, you know, Fergus,' said I.
'Yes, but when I assured you it was no trouble and went on with the next verse, thinking you might like it better, you clutched me by the shoulder and dashed me away, right against the wall there, with such force that I thought I had bitten my tongue in two, and expected to see the place plastered with my brains; and when I put my hand to my head, and found my skull not broken, I thought it was a miracle, and no mistake.