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(Thislastshehadreadofinbooks。)AtfirstJeremyhadeveryintentionofbehavingwell，inspiteofthatunfortunateembrace。Hewasproudofhisadvanceinlife；hewasnolongerababy；thenurserywasnowaschoolroom；hestayedupanhourlateratnight；
hewastobeallowedtwopenceaweekpocket-money；hiswholesocialstatushadrisen。Hebegantoreadforpleasure，anddiscoveredthatitwaseasierthanhehadexpected，sothathepassedquitequicklythrough“Lottie’sVisittoGrandmama“into“Stumps“andoutagainin“Jackanapes。“Heheardsomeeldersaythattheroadtoalargefortunelaythrough“Sums，“and，althoughthisseemedtohimanextremelymysteriousstatement，hedeterminedtogivethetheoryachance。Infact，hesatdownthefirstdayattheschoolroomtable，MaryandHelenoneachsideofhim，andMissJonesfacingthem，withfineresolvesandhighambitions。Beforehimlayapurewhitepage，andattheheadofthisthenoblewordsinarunninghand：“Slowandsteadywinstherace。“Hegraspedhispencil，andMissJones，eagertolosenotimeinassertingherauthority，cried：“Butthat’snotthewaytoholdyourpencil，Jeremy，yourthumbso，yourfingerso。“
HescowledandfoundthatliftinghisthumboverthepencilwasasdifficultasliftingHamletoveragate。Hemadeaboldattempt，butthepencilrefusedtomove。
“Can’tholditthatway，“hesaid。
“Youmustneversay’can’t，’Jeremy，“remarkedMissJones。“Thereisn’tsuchaword。“
“Oh，yes，“saidMaryeagerly，“thereis；I’veseenitinbooks。“
“Youmusn’tcontradict，Mary，“saidMissJones。“Ionlymeantthatyoumustbehaveasthoughthereisn’t，becausenothingisimpossibletoonewhotrulytries。“
“Mypencilwagglesthisway，“saidJeremypolitely。“IthinkI’llholdittheoldway，please。“
“There’sonlyonewayofdoinganything，“saidMissJones，“andthat’stherightway。“
“Thisistherightwayforme，“saidJeremy。
“IfIsayit’snottherightway——“
“Butitwaggles，“criedJeremy。
ThediscussionwasinterruptedbyacryfromHelen。
“Oh，dolook，MissJones，Hamlet’sgotyourspectacle-case。Hethinksit’samouse。“
Therefollowedgeneralconfusion。MissJonesjumpedup，and，withlittlecriesofdistress，pursuedHamlet，whohastenedintohisfavouritecornerandbegantoworrythespectacle-case，withoneeyeonMissJonesandoneonhisspoils。
Jeremyhurriedupcrying：“Putitdown，Hamlet，naughtydog，naughtydog，“andMaryandHelenlaughedwithfranticdelight。
AtlastMissJones，herfaceredandherhairindisorder，rescuedherpropertyandreturnedtothetable，Hamletmeanwhilewagginghistail，pantingandwatchingforafurthergame。
“Ican’tpossibly，“saidMissJones，“allowthatdoginhereduringlessonhours。It’simpossible。“
“Oh，butMissJones——“beganJeremy。
“Notoneword，“saidshe，“letushavenomoreofthis。Leadhimfromtheroom，Jeremy！“
“But，MissJones，hemustbehere。He’slearningtoo。Inadayortwohe’llbeasgoodasanything，reallyhewill。He’ssointelligent。Hereallythoughtitwashistoplaywith，andhedidgiveitup，didn’the，assoonasIsaid——“
“Enough，“saidMissJones，“Iwilllistentonomore。Isayheisnottoremain——“
“ButifIpromise——“saidJeremy。
ThenMissJonesmadeabadmistake。Weariedoftheargument，wishingtocontinuethelesson，andhopingperhapstopleasehertormentors，shesaidmeekly：
“Well，ifhereallyisgood，perhaps——“
Fromthatinstantherdoomwassealed。Thechildrenexchangedaglanceofrealisation。Jeremysmiled。Thelessonwascontinued。WhatpossessedJeremynow？Whatpossessesanychild，naturallyperhaps，ofakindlyandevensentimentalnatureatthesightofsomethinghelplessandinitspower？Isthereanycrueltyinafterlifelikethecrueltyofasmallboy，andisthereanythingmorepowerful，moreunreasoning，andmoremaliciousthanthecalculatingtorturesthatsmallchildrendeviseforthoseweakerthanthemselves？Jeremywaspossessedwithanewpower。
Itwassomethingalmostabstractinitsmanifestations；itwassomethingindecent，sinister，secret，foreigntohiswholenaturefeltbyhimnowforthefirsttime，unanalysed，ofcourse，butbelonging，hadheknownit，tothatworldofwhichafterwardshewasoftentocatchglimpses，thatworldofshiningwhitefacesindarkstreets，ofmuffledcriesfromshutteredwindows，ofmutteredexclamations，halfcaught，halfunderstood。Hewasneveragaintobequitefreefromtheneighbourhoodofthathalf-world；hewouldneverbequitesureofhisdominanceofituntilhedied。
Hehadneverfeltanythinglikethispowerbefore。WiththeJampothisrelationshadbeenquitesimple；hehadbeenrebellious，naughty，disobedient，andhadbeenpunished，andtherewasanend。
NowtherewasagameliketrackingRedIndiansintheprairieortigersinthejungle。
HewatchedMissJonesanddiscoveredmanythingsabouther。Hediscoveredthatwhenshemademistakesinthethingsthatshetaughtthemshewasafraidtoconfesstohermistakes，andsomadethemworseandworse。Hediscoveredthatshewasverynervous，andthatasuddennoisemadeherjumpandturnwhiteandputherhandtoherheart。Hediscoveredthatshewouldpunishhimandthentrytopleasehimbysayingheneednotfinishhispunishment。Hediscoveredthatshewouldlosethings，likeherspectacles，herhandkerchief，orherpurse，andthenbeafraidtoconfessthatshehadlostthemandendeavourtoproceedwithoutthem。Hediscoveredthatshehatedtohithimonthehandwitharuler(hescarcelyfeltthestrokes)。Hediscoveredthatwhenhismotherorfatherwasintheroomshewasterrifiedlestheshouldmisbehave。
Hediscoveredthatshewasdespisedbytheservants，whoquiteopenlyinsultedher。
Allthesethingsfedhissenseofpower。Hedidnotconsiderherahumanbeingatall；shewassimplysomethinguponwhichhecouldexercisehisingenuityandcleverness。Maryfollowedhiminwhateverhedid；Helenpretendedtobesuperior，butwasnot。Yes，MissJoneswasinthehandsofhertormentors，andtherewasnoescapeforher。
SurelyitmusthavebeensomeoutsidepowerthatdroveJeremyon。
Thechildrencalledit“teasingMissJones，“andtheaboriginalsavageryintheirbehaviourwasasunconsciousastheirdailyspeechorfashionofeatingtheirfood——someinstinctinherited，perhaps，fromthedayswhenthegentlemanwiththebiggestmusclesextractedforhisdailyamusementtheteethandnailsofhislesshappilymuscularfriends。
ThereweremanygamestobeplayedwithMissJones。Shealwaysbeganhermorningwithafineshowofauthority，accumulated，perhaps，duringhoursofSpartanresolutionwhilsttherestofthehouseholdslept。“To-morrowI’llseethattheydowhatItellthem——“
“Now，children，“shewouldsay，“I’mdeterminedtostandnononsensethismorning。Getoutyourcopybooks。“Fiveminuteslaterwouldbegin：“Oh，MissJones，Ican’twritewiththispencil。MayIfindabetterone？“Grantedpermission，Mary’sheadandlargespectacleswoulddisappearinsidetheschoolroomcupboard。SoonJeremywouldsayverypolitely：“MissJones，IthinkIknowwhereitis。MayI
helphertofindit？“ThenJeremy’sheadwoulddisappear。Therewouldfollowgiggles，whispers，againgiggles；thenfromthecupboardabooktumbles，thenanother，thenanother。ThenMissJoneswouldsay：“Now，Jeremy，comebacktothetable。You’vehadquiteenoughtime——“interruptedbyaperfectavalancheofbooks。Marycrying：
“Oh，Jeremy！“Jeremycrying：“Ididn’t；itwasyou！“MissJones：
“Now，children——“
ThenJeremy，verypolitely：
“Please，MissJones，mayIhelpMarytopickthebooksup？Thereareratheralot。“Then，bothontheirknees，morewhispersandgiggles。
