Hercryinghorrified，terrified，anddisgustedhim。Itwasallsodreary，thehorribleweatheroutside，thebeginningofacoldinhishead，theschoolroomfirealmostout，everyone’sbadtemper，includinghisown，andthissuddenhorriblejumping-to-lifeofagrown-uphumanbeing。She，meanwhile，wastoodeeplyinvolvednowinthewatersofherafflictiontocareverydeeplywhosawherorwhatanyonesaidtoher。Shedidfeeldimlythatsheoughtnottobecryinginfrontofasmallboyofeightyearsold，andthatitwouldbebettertohideherselfinherbedroom，butshedidnotmind——sheCOULDnotmind——herneuralgiawastoobad。
　　“It’stheneuralgiainmyhead，“shesaidinamuffledconfusedvoice。Thathecouldunderstand。Healsohadpainsinhishead。Hedrewclosertoher，flingingalongingbackwardlookatthedoor。
　　Shewentoninconvulsedtones：
　　“It’sthepain——awakeallnight，andthelessons。Ican’tmakethemattend；theylearnnothing。They’renotafraidofme——theyhateme。
　　I’veneverreallyknownchildrenbefore——“
　　Hedidnotknowwhattosay。HaditbeenMaryorHelentheformulawouldhavebeensimple。Hemovedhislegsrestlesslyoneagainsttheother。
　　MissJoneswenton：
　　“Andnow，ofcourse，Imustgo。It’squiteimpossibleformetostaywhenImanagesobadly——“ShelookedupandsuddenlyrealisedthatitwastrulyJeremy。“You’reonlyalittleboy，butyouknowverywellthatIcan’tmanageyou。AndthenwhereamItogoto？NoonewilltakemeafterI’vebeensuchafailure。“
　　Thecolourstoleintohischeeks。Hewasimmenselyproud。Nogrown-
　　uppersonhadeverbeforespokentohimasthoughhewashimselfagrown-upperson——alwayslaughingathimlikeUncleSamuel，ortalkingdowntohimlikeAuntAmy，ordespisinghimlikeMr。
　　Jellybrand。ButMissJonesappealedtohimsimplyasonegrown-uptoanother。Unfortunatelyhedidnotintheleastknowwhattosay。Theonlythinghecouldthinkofatthemomentwas：“Youcanhavemyhandkerchief，ifyoulike。It’sprettyclean——“
　　Butshewenton：“Ifmybrotherhadbeenalivehewouldhaveadvisedme。Hewasasplendidman。HerowedinhiscollegeboatwhenhewasatCambridge，butthat，ofcourse，wasfortyyearsago。Hecouldkeepchildreninorder。Ithoughtitwouldbesoeasy。Perhapsifmyhealthhadbeenbetteritwouldn’thavebeensohard。“
　　“Doyourpainscomeoften？“askedJeremy。
　　“Yes。They’reverybad。“
　　“Ihavethem，too，“saidJeremy。“It’sgenerally，Iexpect，becauseIeattoomuch——atleast，theJampotusedtosayso。They’reinmyheadsometimes，too。AndthenI’mreallysick。Doyoufeelsick？“
　　MissJonesbegantopullherselftogether。Shewipedhereyesandpattedherhair。
　　“It’smyneuralgia，“shesaidagain。“It’sfrommyeyespartly，I
　　expect。“
　　“It’sbettertobesick，“continuedJeremy，“ifyoucanbe——“
　　Sheflunghimthenadesperatelook，asthoughshewerereallyananimalatbay。
　　“Yousee，Ican’tgoaway，“shesaid。“I’venowheretogoto。I’venofriends，norrelations，andnoonewilltakemefortheirchildren，ifMrs。ColesaysIcan’tkeeporder。“
　　“ThenIsupposeyou’dgototheworkhouse，“continuedJeremy，pursuinghercasewithexcitedinterest。“That’swhattheJampotalwaysusedtosay，thatonedayshe’dendintheworkhouse；andthat’sahorribleplace，SHEsaid，wheretherewasnothingbutporridgetoeat，andsometimestheytookallyourclothesoffandscrubbedyourbackwiththathardyellowsoaptheywashHamletwith。“
　　Hiseyesgrewwidewiththehorriblepicture。
　　“Oh，MissJones，youmustn’tgothere！“
　　“Wouldyoumind，“shesaid，“justgettingmesomewaterfromthejugoverthere？There’saglassthere。“
　　Stillproudoftheleveltowhichhehadbeenraised，butpuzzledbeyondanywordsastothisnewrealisationofMissJones，hefetchedherthewater，then，standingquiteclosetoher，hesaid：
　　“Youmuststaywithus，always。“
　　Shelookedupathim，andtheyexchangedaglance。
　　WiththatglanceMissJoneslearntmoreaboutchildrenthanshehadeverlearntbefore——more，indeed，thanmostpeoplelearninalltheirmortallives。
　　“Ican’tstay，“shesaid，andsheevensmiledalittle，“ifyou’realwaysnaughty。“
　　“Wewon’tbenaughtyanymore。“Hesighed。“Itwasgreatfun，ofcourse，butwewon’tdoitanymore。Weneverknewyouminded。“
　　“NeverknewIminded？“
　　“Atleast，weneverthoughtaboutyouatall。Helendidsometimes。
　　Shesaidyouhadaheadachewhenyouwereveryyellowinthemorning，butIsaiditwasonlybecauseyouwereold。Butwe’llbegoodnow。I’lltellthemtoo——“
　　Thenheadded：“Butyouwon’tgoawaynowevenifwe’renotalwaysgood？Wewon’talwaysbe，Isuppose；andI’mgoingtoschoolinSeptember，anditwillbebetterthen，Iexpect。I’mtooold，really，tolearnwithgirlsnow。“
　　Shewantedterriblytokisshim，and，hadshedoneso，thewholegoodworkofthelastquarterofanhourwouldhavebeenundone。Hewasawareofhertemptation；hefeltitintheair。Shesawthewarninginhiseyes。Themomentpassed。
　　“Youwon’tgoaway，willyou？“hesaidagain。
　　“Notifyou’regood，“shesaid。
　　IV
　　Halfanhourlater，whenMaryandHelenreturnedfromtheirwalk，theywereaddressedbyJeremy。
　　“Shewascryingbecausewe’dbeensonaughty，andshehadpainsinherhead，andherbrotherwasdead。Herbrotherwasverystrong，andheusedtorowinaboatfortyyearsago。Shetoldmeallaboutit，justasthoughI’dbeenAuntAmyorMother。Andshesaysthatifwegoonbeingnaughtyshe’llgoaway，andnooneelsewillhaveher，becausethey’llhearaboutourhavingbeennaughty。AndItoldherabouttheworkhouseandtheporridgeandtheyellowsoapthattheJampottoldusof，anditwouldbeawfulifshewenttherebecauseofus，wouldn’tit？“
　　“Awful，“saidMary。
　　ButHelensaid：“Shewouldn’tgothere。She’dtakealittlehouse，likeMissDobell，andhavetea-partiesonThursdays——somewhereneartheCathedral。“
　　“No，shewouldn’t！“saidJeremyexcitedly。“Howcouldshetakealittlehouseifshehadn’tanymoney？Shetoldmeshehadn’t，andnofriends，nornobody，andshecriedlikeanything——“Hepausedforbreath，thenconcluded：“Sowe’vegottobegoodnow，andlearnsums，andnotmakeherjump。Reallyandtruly，wemust。“
　　“Ialwaysthoughtyouwereverysillytomakesomuchnoise，“saidHeleninasuperiorfashion。“YouandMary——babies！“
　　“We’renotbabies，“shoutedJeremy。
　　“Yes，youare。“
　　“No，we’renot。“
　　MissJoneswasnolongerthesubjectoftheconversation。
　　ThatsamedayithappenedthatrumourswerebroughttoMrs。ColethroughRose，thehousemaid，orsomeothermediumforthefirsttime，ofMissJones’sincapacity。
　　ThateveningJeremywasspendinghislasthalf-hourbeforebedtimeinhismother’sroomhappilyinacornerwithhistoyvillage。HesuddenlyheardhismothersaytoAuntAmy：
　　“I’mafraidMissJoneswon’tdo。Ithoughtshewasmanagingthechildren，butnowIhearthatshecan’tkeeporderatall。I’msorry——it’ssodifficulttogetanyone。“
　　Jeremysprangupfromthefloor，startlingtheladies，whohadforgottenthathewasthere。
　　“She’sallright，“hecried。“Reallysheis，Mother。We’regoingtobeasgoodasanything，reallyweare。Youwon’tsendheraway，willyou？？
　　“MydearJeremy，“hismothersaid，“I’dforgottenyouwerethere。
　　Rosesaysyoudon’tdoanythingMissJonestellsyou。“
　　“Roseissilly，“heanswered。“Shedoesn’tknowanythingaboutit。
　　Butyouwillkeepher，won’tyou，Mother？“
　　“Idon’tknow——ifshecan’tmanageyou——“
　　“Butshecanmanageus。We’llbegoodasanything，Ipromise。Youwillkeepher，won’tyou，Mother？“
　　“Really，Jeremy，“saidAuntAmy，“tobotheryourmotherso！Andit’snearlytimeyouwenttobed。“
　　Hebrushedheraside。“Youwillkeepher，Mother，won’tyou？“
　　“Itdepends，dear，“saidMrs。Cole，laughing。“Yousee——“
　　“No——we’llbebadwitheveryoneelse，“hecried。“Wewill，really——
　　everyoneelse。Andwe’llbegoodwithMissJones。“
　　“Well，solongasyou’regood，dear，“shesaid。“I’dnoideayoulikedhersomuch。“