CHAPTER IV. HARRY'S IGNORANCE. HE next day, after breakfast, Uncle Tom took Hugh and Harry round the garden. There were plenty of gooseberries and currants still left, and their uncle told the boys that they might pick some to eat, which you may be sure Hugh and Harry were not slow to do. As they passed along by the garden wall, Hugh said,- What a lot of cherries!' and his uncle answered 'Yes; they are very early this year, but that is an early sort. This is the first year that tree has borne, and I wish to see what sort of fruit it is. The cherries are not nearly ripe yet; you must mind not to touch them, boys, remember. I have told your cousins the same.' Uncle Tom looked round at the boys quickly as he said this, and Hugh and Harry said,—' No, we won't;' but as they walked on they looked back at the cherries several times, thinking that they looked very nice, and that Uncle Tom must be mistaken about their not being ripe. Just then Walter came running up to them with a pretty little slow-worm in his hand. A slow-worm is about three times as long as your little hand, and is prettily spotted with yellow and white on a dark shining skin. 'Look!' said Walter, 'look what I have found! May I keep it, papa? Look, Harry,' and he placed the little slow-worm upon his cousin's arm. Harry gave a scream and threw the little beast from him, then placed his foot upon it as hard as he could, so as to pinch off its tail. 'What did you do that for?' asked Uncle Tom, while poor little Walter burst into tears. 'Horrid thing! it is a snake, it will sting,' said Harry, seizing a spade which lay near, and beating and stamping at the slow-worm. 'It will do nothing of the sort,' said his uncle. 'You are a very silly little boy, and have injured the poor little beast through your ignorance.' 'I thought all snakes stung,' said Harry rather sulkily, while he stood a long way off from the slow-worm. 'They do in the Zoological Gardens; I know they do.' 'You should not be in such a hurry to kill any living thing, Harry,' said Uncle Tom. Vipers sting, as you call it; that is, they will if they are trodden on; but even a viper could not hurt you at that distance.' Walter was by this time dancing on in front, until he stopped in front of some bee-hives. 'How can you go so close?' asked Hugh. 'Bees sting at any rate; you must say "Yes" to that, Uncle Tom.' 'Bees sting nasty boys; they won't sting those who are kind to them.' 'Uncle Tom!' 'It is quite true, my dear. Look how they buzz round Walter's head.' As Uncle Tom spoke, a bee settled on some flowers Walter held in his hand. Oh, how can you?' said Harry. Oh, get away, do, you nasty things!' said he again, as the bees saw him and Hugh, and flew close to them to look in their faces. Harry began laying about him with the spade which he still held since killing the slow-worm, and his uncle called out 'They really will sting you if you go on in that way. They are only examining you because you are a stranger.' 'But I don't like them,' said Harry; 'make them go away.' 'I think you had better go away yourself, you and your brother too, for the bees are getting angry with you.' Hugh and Harry both took to their heels, while several of the bees flew, making an angry noise, after them, until I suppose they made up their minds that they were not much worth looking at; and they returned to the hive to go on with their work. As Uncle Tom and the boys drew near the house they were met by Aunt Sophy. She looked very vexed, and held in her hand the little china tea-cup which Harry had broken the evening before. Oh, do look here!' said Aunt Sophy; 'some one has broken my little pet cup. I am so sorry. Do you know anything about it, boys?' Hugh turned rather red as he answered 'No!' and glanced at Harry, so Aunt Sophy looked at him. 'Do you ?' she asked. Harry also denied it; but I think Aunt Sophy thought the boys looked odd, for she said again, 'Are you quite sure?' Quite sure,' said both Harry and Hugh. 'It is very odd, indeed,' said Aunt Sophy. 'Of course, if it had been one of our own boys, he would have told me about it; I am quite sure of that. Would you not, Walter?' 'Yes, mamma dear, I would directly,' said the little boy; but I didn't break it, mamma.' Then Harry, who we know was the one who had broken the cup, said such a wicked thing. He said, 'Do you think it could have been Guy, Aunt Sophy?' 'What makes you ask it?' said Aunt Sophy. Guy would not touch things he has been told to leave alone.' Aunt Sophy put her hand on Uncle Tom's arm, and said nothing more about the cup; and Harry whispered to Hugh,- She's cross, I think.' Aunt Sophy said to Uncle Tom, Come indoors now. Mr. Marshall is here, and wants particularly to see you.' As they came near the house, a gentleman walked out through the garden door and came towards them. 'Oh, here he comes!' said Aunt Sophy. 'He would not wait for you.' And she went in-doors. Mr. Marshall joined Uncle Tom, and talked to him for a little while, then, when he saw the two boys, he said— |