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。Hediscoveredthatshehatedtohithimonthehandwitharulerhescarcelyfeltthestrokes。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。