"I am glad to see you play so nicely together," he said; "pray go on."

"Oh do, papa, take my place," exclaimed f.a.n.n.y, "it will be much better fun for Norman, and you will show him how to play."

Captain Vallery accordingly kicked the ball, and sent it flying high up into the air. Norman shouted with delight.

"That's much better than f.a.n.n.y can do," he exclaimed, as his papa sent the ball up several times.

"What makes it fly up like that?"

"My feet, in the first place; but as it is filled with wind, it is very light, and rises easily," answered the Captain. "You, in time, will be able to make it fly as high."

"I should like to see the wind in it," said Norman; and his papa laughed at his remark, which he thought very witty.

They continued playing for some time; Captain Vallery, proud of having a son to instruct, showing Norman how to kick the ball, and explaining the way in which real football is played by big boys.

"I wish I was a big boy, and I soon shall be, I hope, for then I shall have some one else besides a stupid girl to play with," exclaimed Norman. "I would rather have her than you, though, because you kick the ball about more than I like, and I want to kick it all by myself."

"You are an independent little fellow," observed his father approvingly, instead of rebuking him for his rude remark.

Captain Vallery stood by, allowing Norman to kick the ball backwards and forwards, which he did for some time, declaring on each occasion that if it reached either one side of the shrubbery or the other he had won the game--not a very difficult matter, considering that he had no one to oppose him.

At length, the gong sounding, Captain Vallery went in to dress for dinner, and Norman was left to play by himself, for, f.a.n.n.y finding she was not wanted, had entered the house, and, after exhibiting her doll to Susan, had gone to her room to introduce Miss Lucy to Nancy and to her future abode.

Norman soon grew weary of being by himself, and with his big ball in his arms, wandered into the house. Making his way into the drawing-room, he there found among a number of Indian curiosities which had just been unpacked, and which his papa intended to hang up against the wall, a long knife. Though Norman was very forward in some things, and could talk better than many boys older than he was, yet he was very ignorant in others, but of that, like many more ignorant people, he was not aware. "I should like to see the wind papa told me was inside this big ball," he said to himself; "perhaps there is something else besides wind, it feels pretty soft--I daresay I could easily cut it open with this knife and see." He took the knife and examined it, "I must not do it here though, or they may be coming downstairs and stop me," so tucking the knife under one arm, and holding the big ball in the other, he went along the pa.s.sage and out at the garden door. He at first proposed going to the further end of the garden, where he need have no fear of being interrupted, then he recollected his performance of the morning, and thought that the gardener might be there, and would scold him for digging up f.a.n.n.y's plants, so instead of going there, he made his way along the side of the house, till he reached another door, which led to the larder.

"The cook won't be coming in here at this hour, as she is serving up the dinner, so I shall have the place all to myself!" he observed, thinking how clever he was.

He accordingly went in and closed the door.

"Now I shall soon find out what is inside my ball," he said chuckling and placing it on the ground. Putting one foot on it, to hold it steady, he began cutting away with the huge knife. The part of the weapon he used was not very sharp, and as the leather yielded, he at first made no impression; at last he made a dig at the ball with the point of the knife, which quickly penetrated it, producing a wide gash.

Out rushed the wind faster and faster, as he pressed down his foot, till the coating of leather and the thin bladder inside had become perfectly flat. He took it up wondering at the result, and shook it and told it to get fat again, but all to no purpose. He felt very much inclined to cry, when somehow or other he discovered, that he had done a very foolish thing, but he was not accustomed to blame himself.

"Papa ought to have brought me a different sort of ball, which would not grow thin just because I happen to stick a knife into it," he muttered to himself.

Again he threw down what had once been a ball, and stamped on it, and abused it for not doing as he told it. At last he began to think that the knife, which he supposed was his grandmamma's, might be missed and that she would scold him for carrying it away. Taking up the leather therefore, and finding that no one was near, he returned. On his way seeing a thick bush, he threw the case into it--for he was somewhat ashamed of letting his father know the folly of which he had been guilty.

As no one had yet come down, he replaced the knife among the articles from which he had taken it, and ran up to his room. When he came back he found f.a.n.n.y in the drawing-room reading, she told him that their granny and papa and mamma had gone in to dinner.

"Cannot you do something to amuse me?" he asked.

"Willingly," she answered, putting aside her own book, and she read some stories to him out of one of the picture-books.

Susan came shortly to call the children to their tea, and they then went down to dessert in the dining-room.

"Well, my boy, are you inclined to have another game at football before you go to bed?" asked Captain Vallery.

"No," answered Norman, not liking the question, "I do not want to play any more to-day."

"I thought you seemed so pleased with your football, that you would never get tired of it," observed Mrs Vallery.

Norman made no answer.

The ladies rose from the table, and Captain Vallery soon joined them in the drawing-room, they then strolled out on to the lawn to enjoy the cool air of that lovely summer evening.

"Go and get your football, Norman," said Captain Vallery, "though you do not wish to play, I shall enjoy kicking it about to remind me of my schoolboy days."

Norman did not move.

"Go and get it, my dear, as your papa tells you," said Mrs Leslie, vexed at her grandson's disobedience.

"I will go and get it--where did you leave it, Norman," said f.a.n.n.y.

"I do not know," he answered.

"I daresay I shall find it," said f.a.n.n.y, supposing that her brother had left it in his room, or else in the hall.

She soon came back saying that she had hunted everywhere, but could not find it.

"I suppose the somebody who stole my whip, has taken that," growled Norman.

"My dear, no one in this house would I am sure steal anything," said Mrs Leslie, "but a friend, who considered that you would make a bad use of your whip, has undoubtedly put it out of your way. Do not let me bear you make that remark again."

"There are thieves everywhere," muttered Norman.

At that moment, Trusty was seen coming along one of the walks, dragging something brown, and tossing it playfully about. On he came till he reached the lawn.

"Why, Norman, I believe the dog has got your football, though he has managed to let the wind out of it," exclaimed Captain Vallery.

"Oh, the thief, beat him, papa!" cried Norman.

"Oh, pray not!" exclaimed f.a.n.n.y, "I am sure Trusty did not intend to hurt Norman's ball," cried f.a.n.n.y, running forward and catching Trusty.

"Give it up, sir, give it up, you do not know the mischief you have done," she added.

"Oh, but he must have stolen it, and see he has made a great hole in it with his teeth!" exclaimed Norman.

Captain Vallery took up the football and examined it.

"The dog did not do this," he said, pointing to the slit in the leather.

"This was done by a sharp knife; we must not wrongfully accuse the dog, he must have found it in this condition; somebody else cut the hole."

Norman grew very red; his papa looked at him.

"I suspect somebody wanted to see the wind which I told him was within it," he observed.

Norman grew redder still.

"I thought so," said Captain Vallery. "Did you cut the hole in your ball, Norman?" he asked sternly.

"I wanted to see the wind in it," murmured Norman.