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Shedidnotlike——sheneverliked——MissMaple，whowasalwayspushingherselfforward，criticisingandback-biting。Mr。
Jellybrandshouldnothavesettledthiswithoutconsultingher。Hehadtakenitforgrantedthatshewouldagree。Hehadsaid：“I
agreedwithMissMaplethatitwouldbebettertohaveitatherhouse。I’msureyouwillthinkasIdo。“Whyshouldhebesure？Washenotforgettinghispositionalittle？……
Kindestwomanintheworld，shehadseenwithastrangeun-Christianpleasurethedog’sadvanceupontheblacktrousers。ThenMr。
Jellybrandhadbeenobviouslyafraid。Hefancied，perhaps，thatshetoohadbeenafraid。Hefancied，perhaps，thatshewasnotmistressinherhouse，thatshecouldbebrowbeatenbyhersisterandhernurse。
Shesmiledathim。“There’snoreasontobeafraid，Mr。Jellybrand……He’ssuchalittledog。“
Thenthedogsmiledather。
“Poorlittlething，“shesaid。“Hemusthavenearlydiedinthesnow。“
ThusMissMaple，bitterestofspinsters，influenced，allunwitting，thelivesnotonlyofadogandacurate，butoftheentireColefamily，andthroughthem，ofendlessgenerationsbothofdogsandmenasyetunborn。MissMaple，sittinginherlittleyellow-
curtainedparlourdrinking，injaundicedcontentment，herafternoon’scupoftea，was，ofcourse，unawareofthis。Agoodthingthatshewasunaware-shewasquiteconceitedenoughalready。
IV
AfterthatsmilingjudgmentofMrs。Cole’s，affairswerequicklysettled。
“Ofcourseitcanonlybeforthenight，children。Fatherwillarrangesomethinginthemorning。Poorlittlething。Wheredidyoufindhim？“
“Wesawhimfromthewindow，“saidJeremyquickly，“andhewasshiveringlikeanything，sowecalledhimintowarmhim。“
“MydearAlice，yousurelydon’tmean——“beganAuntAmy，andtheJampotsaid：“Ireallythink，Mum-，“andMr。Jellybrand，inhisrichvoice，murmured：“Isitquitewise，dearMrs。Cole，doyouthink？“
WiththoughtsofMissMapleshesmileduponthemall。
“Oh，foronenight，Ithinkwecanmanage。Heseemsacleanlittledog，andreallywecan’tturnhimoutintothesnowatonce。Itwouldbetoocruel。Butmind，children，it’sonlyforonenight。Helooksagoodlittledog。“
Whenthe“quality“haddeparted，Jeremy’smindwasinaconfusedconditionofhorroranddelight。SuchavictoryashehadwonovertheJampot，avictorythatwasafurtherstageinthefightforindependencebegunonhisbirthday，mighthaveveryawfulqualities。
TherewouldbeginnowoneoftheJampot’ssulks——moodswellknowntotheColefamily，andlastingfromadaytoaweek，accordingtothegravityoftheoffence。Yes，theyhadalreadybegun。Thereshesatinherchairbythefire，sewing，sewing，herfat，roly-polyfacecarvedintoaparodyofdeepdispleasure。Lifewouldbeveryunpleasantnow。Notopsofeggs，nomarmaladeontoast，noskinsofmilk，nostoriesof“whenIwasayounggirl，“nosittingupfiveminutes“later，“nostoppinginthemarket-placeforatalkwiththebananawoman——onlysterninsistenceoneverydetailofdailylife；
swiftjudgmentwereanythingleftundoneordonewrong。
Jeremysighed；yes，itwouldbehorridand，forthesakeoftheworldingeneral，whichmeantMaryandHelen，hemustseewhatalittlediplomacywoulddo。Kneelingdownbythedog，helookedupintoherfacewiththegazeofingenuousinnocence。
“Youwouldn’thavewantedthepoorlittledogtohavediedinthesnow，wouldyou，Nurse？……Itmight，youknow。Itwon’tbeanytrouble，Iexpect——“
Therewasnoreply。HecouldhearMaryandHelendrawingintheirbreathswithexcitedattention。
“Fatheralwayssaidwemighthaveadogonedaywhenwewereolder——
andweareoldernow。“
Stillnoword。
“We’llbeextragood，Nurse，ifyoudon’tmind。Don’tyourememberonceyousaidyouhadadogwhenyouwerealittlegirl，andhowyoucriedwhenithaditsearbittenoffbyanastybigdog，andhowyourmothersaidshewouldn’thaveitfightingroundthehouse，andsentitaway，andyoucried，andcried，andcried，andhowyousaidthatp’r’apswe’llhaveoneoneday？——andnowwe’vegotone。“
Heendedtriumphantly。Sheraisedhereyesforonemoment，staredatthemall，bitoffapieceofthread，andsaidindeep，sepulchraltones：
“Eitheritgoes，orIgo。“
Thethreestaredatoneanother。TheJampotgo？Reallygo？……
Theycouldheartheirheartsthumpingoneafteranother。TheJampotgo？
“Oh，Nurse，wouldyoureally？“whisperedMary。ThisinnocentremarkofMary’sconveyedinthetoneofitmorepleasedanticipationthanwas，perhaps，polite。CertainlytheJampotfeltthis；afloodofcolourroseintoherface。Hermouthopened。Butwhatshewouldhavesaidisuncertain，foratthatverymomentthedramawasfurtherdevelopedbytheslowmovementofthedoor，andtherevelationofhalfofUncleSamuel’sbody，clothedinitsstainedbluepaintingsmock，andhisuglyfatfaceclothedinitsusualsarcasticsmile。
“Excusemeonemoment，“hesaid；“Ihearyouhaveadog。“
TheJampotrose，asgoodmannersdemanded，butsaidnothing。
“Whereisthecreature？“heasked。
ThenewadditiontotheColefamilyhadfinishedhiswashing；theblazingfirehadalmostdriedhim，andhishairstuckoutnowfromhisbodyinlittlestiffprickles，hedgehogfashion，givinghimatrulyoriginalappearance。Hisbeardaffordedhimtheairofanambassador，andhisgrave，melancholyeyestheabsorbedintrospectionofaSpanishhidalgo；histail，however，initsupright，stumpyjocularity，betrayedhisdignity。
“Thereheis，“saidJeremy，withaglancehalfofterror，halfofdelight，attheJampot。“Isn’thelovely？“
“Lovely。Myword！“UncleSamuel’ssmilebroadened。“He’saboutthemosthideousmongrelit’severbeenmylottoseteyeson。Buthehashispoints。Hedespisesyouall，I’mgladtosee。“
Jeremy，asusualwithUncleSamuel，wasuncertainastohissincerity。
“Helooksabitfunnyjustnow，“heexplained。“He’sbeendryingontherug。He’llbeallrightsoon。HewantedtobiteMr。Jellybrand。
Itwasfunny。Mr。Jellybrandwasfrightenedasanything。“
“Yes，thatmusthavebeendelightful，“agreedUncleSamuel。“What’shisname？“
“Wehaven’tgivenhimoneyet。Wouldn’tyouthinkofone，UncleSamuel？“
Theuncleconsideredthedog。Thedog，withgraveandscornfuleyes，consideredtheuncle。
“Well，ifyoureallyaskme，“saidthatgentleman，“ifyounamehimbyhischaracterIshouldsayHamletwouldbeasgoodasanything。“
“What’sHamlet？“askedJeremy。
“Heisn’tanythingjustnow。ButhewasaprincewhoWasunhappybecausehethoughtsomuchabouthimself。“
“Hamlet’11do，“saidJeremycomfortably。“I’veneverheardofadogcalledthat，butit’seasytosay。“
“Well，Imustgo，“saidUncleSamuel，makingoneofhisusualsuddendepartures。“Gladtohaveseentheanimal。Good-bye。“
Hevanished。
“Hamlet，“repeatedJeremythoughtfully。“Iwonderwhetherhe’lllikethat-“
Hisattention，however，wascaughtbytheJampot’ssuddenoutburst。
“Allofthem，“shecried，“supportingyouinyourwickednessanddisobedience。Iwon’t’aveitnorendureitnotaminutelonger。
Theycan’avemynoticethismoment，andIwon’ttakeitback，notiftheyaskmeontheirbendedknees-no，Iwon’t-andthat’sstraight。“
Foraninstantshefrowneduponthemall-thenshewasgone，thedoorbangingafterher。
Theygazedatoneanother。
Therewasadreadfulsilence。OnceMarywhispered：“Supposeshereallydoes。“
Hamletonlywasunmoved。
Tenminuteslater，Rose，thehousemaid，enteredwiththetea-things。
Foralittleshewassilent。Thenthethreefacesraisedtoherscompelledherconfidence。
“Nursehasbeenandgivennotice，“shesaid，“andtheMissishastakenit。She’sgoingattheendofthemonth。She’scryingnowinthekitchen。“
Theywerealoneagain。MaryandHelenlookedatJeremyasthoughwaitingtofollowhislead。Hedidnotknowwhattosay。TherewasTragedy，therewasVictory，therewasRemorse，therewasTriumph。Hewassorry，hewasglad。HiseyesfelluponHamlet，whowasnowstretchedoutupontherug，hisnosebetweenhispaws，fastasleep。
Thenhelookedathissisters。
“Well，“hesaidslowly，“it’sawfullynicetohaveadog——anyway。“
SuchisthetrueandfaithfulaccountofHamlet’sentranceintothetrainoftheColes。
CHAPTERIII
CHRISTMASPANTOMIME
I
