Oswald saw this plainly.

'We must do something,' Dicky said; it's very very hard, though.
Still, there must be SOME interesting things that are not wrong.'

'I suppose so,' Oswald said, 'but being good is so much like being
a muff, generally. Anyhow I'm not going to smooth the pillows of
the sick, or read to the aged poor, or any rot out of Ministering
Children.'

'No more am I,' Dicky said. He was chewing a straw like the head
had in its mouth, 'but I suppose we must play the game fair. Let's
begin by looking out for something useful to do--something like
mending things or cleaning them, not just showing off.'

'The boys in books chop kindling wood and save their pennies to buy
tea and tracts.'

'Little beasts!' said Dick. 'I say, let's talk about something
else.' And Oswald was glad to, for he was beginning to feel jolly
uncomfortable.

We were all rather quiet at tea, and afterwards Oswald played
draughts with Daisy and the others yawned. I don't know when we've
had such a gloomy evening. And everyone was horribly polite, and
said 'Please' and 'Thank you' far more than requisite.

Albert's uncle came home after tea. He was jolly, and told us
stories, but he noticed us being a little dull, and asked what