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Itwasdifficultinthosedaystofind“treats“inPolchester。
“Oh，doyouthinkthey’dletus？“shesaid，hereyeswide。
“Wecantry，“saidJeremy。“IheardAuntAmysaytheotherdaythatshedidn’tthinkitwasrightforchildrentoseeacting，andMotheralwaysdoestheoppositetowhatAuntAmysays，sop’r’apsitwillbeallright。IwishHamletcouldgo，“headded。
“Don’tbesilly！“saidHelen。
“Itisn’tsilly，“Jeremysaidindignantly。“It’sallaboutacat，anyway，andhe’dlovetoseealltheratsandthings。Hewouldn’tbarkifwetoldhimnotto，andIheldhiscollar。“
“IfAuntAmysatnexthimhewould，“saidMary。
“Oh，botherAuntAmy，“saidJeremy。
AfterthisHelenneededagreatdealofurging；butsheheardthatLucyandAngela，theaforesaiddaughtersoftheDean，weregoing，andthespiritofrivalrydroveherforward。
IthappenedthattheDeanhimselfonedaysaidsomethingtoMr。Coleabout“supportingaverypraiseworthyeffort。Theyarepresenting，I
understand，theproceedsofthefirstperformancetotheCathedralOrphanage。“
Helenwassurprisedatthereadinesswithwhichherrequestwasgranted。
“We’llallgo，“saidMr。Cole，inhisgenial，pastoralfashion。
“Goodforus……goodforus……toseethelittleoneslaugh……goodforusall。“
OnlyUncleSamuelsaid“thatnothingwouldinducehim——“
II
IpassswiftlyoverChristmasEve，ChristmasDay，andthedayafter，althoughIshouldliketolingeruponthesesumptuousdates。Jeremyhadasumptuoustime；Hamlethadasumptuoustime(awholesugarrat，platesandplatesofbones，andashoeofAuntAmy’s)；MaryandHelenhadsumptuoustimesintheirownfemininefashion。
UpontheeveningofChristmasEve，whentheearthwassnow-lit，andthestreet-lampssparkledwithcrystals，andtherimeonthedoorstepscrackledbeneathone’sfeet，Jeremyaccompaniedhismotheronapresent-leavingexpedition。Theexcitementofthat！Thewonderfulshapesandsizesoftheparcels，themysteriousstreets，thedoor-handlesandthedoor-bells，theglitteringstars，themaidservants，thesenseofthelightedhouse，asthoughvouopenedaboxfullofexcitementsandthenhurriedlyshuttheliddownagain。
Jeremytrembledandshook，notwithcold，butwithexalting，completelysatisfyinghappiness。
TherefollowedtheStocking，theWaits，theCarols，theTurkey，theChristmasCake，theTree，thePresents，Snapdragon，Bed……TherefollowedHeadache，Ill-temper，SmackingofMary，AfternoonWalk，GoodTemperagain，CompleteWeariness，HamletsickontheGoldenCockatoos，HamletBeaten，FiveminuteswithMotherdownstairs，Bed……Christmaswasover。
FromthatmomentofthepassingofBoxingDayitwassimplythecountingoftheminutesto“DickWhittington。“SixdaysfromBoxingDay。Sayyousleptfromeighttoseven——elevenhours；thatleftthirteenhours；sixthirteenhourswas，soHelensaid，seventy-
eight。Seventy-eighthours，andSundaytwiceaslongastheotherdays，andthatmadethirteenmore；ninety-one，saidHelen，hernoseintheair。
Theweekdraggedalong，verydifficultworkforeverybody，andevenHamletfelttheexcitementandwatchedhiscornerwiththeJampot’ssewingmachineinitwithmorequiveringintensitythanever。TheDayBeforeTheDayarrived，theeveningbeforeTheDay，thelastsupperbeforeTheDay，thelastbedbeforeTheDay……Suddenly，likeaJack-in-the-Box，TheDayitself。
Thentheawfulthinghappened。
Jeremyawoketotheconsciousnessthatsomethingterrificwasabouttooccur。Helayforaminutethinking——thenhewasup，runningaboutthenurseryfloorasthoughhewereayoungmaninMr。
Rossetti’spoetryshouting：“Helen！Mary！Mary！Helen！……It’sDickWhittington！DickWhittington！“
Onsuchoccasionshelostentirelyhisnaturalreserveandcaution。
Hedressedwithimmensespeed，asthoughthatwouldhastenthecomingoftheevening。Heranintothenursery，carryingtheblacktiethatwentunderhissailor-collar。
HehelditouttotheJampot，whoeyedhimwithdisfavour。Shewasleavingthemallinaweekandwasastrangeconfusionofsentimentandbadtemper，loveandhatred，woundedprideandinjureddignity。
“Nurse。Please。Fastenit，“hesaidimpatiently。
“Andthat’snotthewaytospeak，MasterJeremy，andwellyouknowit，“shesaid。“’Aveyoucleanedyourteeth？“
“Yes，“heansweredwithouthesitation。Itwasnotuntilthewordwasspokenthatherealisedthathehadnot。Heflushed。TheJampoteyedhimwithasuddensharpsuspicion。Hewasthenandeverafterwardsaverybadhandatalie……
Hewouldhavetakenthewordback，hewantedtotakeitback——butsomethingheldhimasthoughastrongerthanhehadplacedhishandoverhismouth。Hisfaceflamed。
“You’vetrulycleanedthem？“shesaid。
“Yes，truly，“heanswered，hiseyesontheground。Neverwasthereamoreobviousliarinalltheworld。
Shesaidnomore；hemovedtothefireplace。Hisjoywasgone。Therewasacoldclammysensationabouthisheart。Slowly，veryslowly，theconsciousnessstoleuponhimthathewasaliar。Hehadnotthoughtitaliewhenhehadfirstspoken，nowheknew。
Stilltherewastime。Hadheturnedroundandspoken，allmightstillhavebeenwell。Butnowobstinacyheldhim。HewasnotgoingtogivetheJampotanopportunityfortriumphingoverhim。Afterall，hewouldcleanthemsosoonasshewenttobrushHelen’shair。
Inamomentwhathehadsaidwouldbetrue。
Buthewasmiserable。Hamletcameupfromthenetherregionswherehehadspentthenight，showinghisteeth，wagginghistail，andevenrollingonthecockatoos。Jeremypaidnoattention。Theweightinhisheartgrewheavierandheavier。Hewatched，fromunderhiseyelids，theJampot。InamomentshemustgointoHelen’sroom。Butshedidnot。Shestayedforalittlearrangingthethingsonthebreakfast-table——thensuddenly，withoutaword，sheturnedintoJeremy’sbedchamber。Hisheartbegantohammer。Therewasanawfulpause；heheardfrommilesawayMary’svoice：“Dodothatbutton，Helen，Ican’tgetit！“andHelen’s“Oh，bother！“
Then，likeJudgment，theJampotappearedagain。Shestoodinthedoorway，lookingacrossathim。
“You’avenotcleanedyourteeth，MasterJeremy，“shesaid。“Theglassisn’ttouched，noryourtoothbrush……Youwicked，wickedboy。Soit’saliaryou’vebecome，addedontoallyourotherwickedness。“
“Iforgot，“hemutteredsullenly。“IthoughtIhad。“
Shesmiledthesmileofapproachingtriumph。
“No，youdidnot，“shesaid。“Youknewyou’dtoldalie。Itwasinyourface。Allofapiece——allofapiece。“
Thewayshesaidthis，likeapiratecountingoverhiscapturedtreasure，wasenraging。Jeremycouldfeelthewildfuryathimself，ather，atthestupidblunderofthewholebusinessrisingtohisthroat。
“IfyouthinkI’mgoingtoletthispassyou’remakingamightymistake，“shecontinued，“whichIwouldn’tdonotifyoupaidmeallthegoldinthekingdom。Imayn’tbegoodenoughtokeepmyplaceandlookaftersuchasyou，butanywaysI’mabletostopyourlyingforanotherweekortwo。Iknowmydutyeventhoughthere’sthemasthinksIdon’t。“
Shepositivelysnorted，andtheexcitementofherownvindicationandthejustcondemnationofJeremywassuchthatherhandstrembled。
“Idon’tcarewhatyoudo，“Jeremyshouted。“Youcantellanyoneyoulike。Idon’tcarewhatyoudo。You’reabeastlywoman。“
Sheturneduponhim，herfacepurple。“That’senough，MasterJeremy，“shesaid，hervoicelowandtrembling。“I’mnotheretobecallednamesbysuchasyou。You’llbesorryforthisbeforeyou’remucholder……Yousee。“
Therewasthenanawfulandsicklypause。Jeremyseemedtohimselftobesinkinglowerandlowerintoadampclammydepthofdegradation。Whatmustthisworldbethatitcouldchangeitselfsoinstantlyfromaplaceofgayandhappypleasureintoadimgropingroomofpunishmentanddismay？
Hisfeelingswereutterlyconfused。Hesupposedthathewasterriblywicked。Buthedidnotfeelwicked。Heonlyfeltmiserable，sickanddefiant。MaryandHelencamein，theireyesopentoacrisis，theirbodiestunedsympatheticallytotheatmosphereofsinandcrimethattheydiscernedaroundthem。
ThenMr。Colecameinaswashisdailyhabit——foramomentbeforehisbreakfast。
“Well，hereareyouall，“hecried。“Readyforto-night？Nobreakfastyet？Why，now……？“
Thenperceiving，asallpractisedfathersinstantlymust，thattheatmospherewassinful，hechangedhisvoicetothatoftheChildren’sSundayAfternoonService——avoicewellknowninhisfamily。
“Please，sir，“begantheJampot，“I’msorryto’avetotellyou，sir，thatMasterJeremy’snotbeenatallgoodthismorning。“
“Well，Jeremy，“hesaid，turningtohisson，“whatisit？“
