it."

"Ethel, dear!" murmured Mrs. Brown, reproachfully. Ethel turned her
chair completely round and left her back only exposed to William's
view. He glared at it suspiciously.

"Now, William dear," continued his mother, "begin again and no one
shall interrupt you."

William again went through the preliminaries of coughing and clearing
his throat.

"_It was the schooner Hesperus that sailed the wintry seas._"

He stopped again, and slowly and carefully straightened his collar and
smoothed back the lock of hair which was dangling over his brow.

"_The skipper had brought----_" prompted Aunt Jane, kindly.

William turned on her.

"I was _goin'_ to say that if you'd left me alone," he said. "I was
jus' thinkin'. I've got to think sometimes. I can't say off a great
long pome like that without stoppin' to think sometimes, can I?
I'll--I'll do a conjuring trick for you instead," he burst out,
desperately. "I've learnt one from my book. I'll go an' get it ready."

He went out of the room. Mr. Brown took out his handkerchief and
mopped his brow.