Jeremy’sface，raisedtohisfather’s，washardandsetandsullen。
　　“I’vetoldalie，“hesaid；“IsaidI’dcleanedmyteethwhenI
　　hadn’t。Nursewentandlooked，andthenIcalledherabeastlywoman。“
　　TheJampot’sfaceexpressedagrievedandatthesametimetriumphantconfirmationofthis。
　　“Youtoldalie？“Mr。Cole’svoicewasfullofalingeringsorrow。
　　“Yes，“saidJeremy。
　　“Areyousorry？“
　　“I’msorrythatItoldalie，butI’mnotsorryIcalledNurseabeastlywoman。“
　　“Jeremy！“
　　“No，I’mnot。Sheisabeastlywoman。“
　　Mr。Colewasalwaysatalosswhenanyonedefiedhim，eventhoughitwereonlyasmallboyofeight。Hetookrefugenowinhisecclesiasticalandparentalauthority。
　　“I’mverydistressed——verydistressedindeed。Ihopethatpunishment，Jeremy，willshowyouhowwrongyouhavebeen。I’mafraidyoucannotcomewithustothePantomimeto-night。“
　　AtthatjudgementaquiverforaninstantheldJeremy’sface，turningit，forthatmoment，intosomethingshapelessandold。Hishearthadgivenawildleapofterroranddismay。Butheshowednofurthersign。Hesimplystoodtherewaiting。
　　Mr。Colewasbaffled，ashealwayswasbyJeremy’smoods，sohecontinued：
　　“Anduntilyou’veapologisedtoNurseforyourrudenessyoumustremainbyyourself。Ishallforbidyoursisterstospeaktoyou。
　　MaryandHelen，youarenottospeaktoyourbrotheruntilhehasapologisedtoNurse。“
　　“Yes，Father，“saidHelen“Oh，Father，mayn’thecometo-night？“saidMary。
　　“No，Mary，I’mafraidnot。“
　　Atearrolleddownhercheek。“Itwon’tbeanyfunwithoutJeremy，“
　　shesaid。ShewishedtomakethefurthersacrificeofsayingthatshewouldnotgounlessJeremydid，butsomenaturalcautionrestrainedher。
　　Mr。Cole，hisfaceheavywithsorrow，departed。AtthedumbmiseryofJeremy’sfacetheJampot’shear——inrealityakindandevensentimentalheart——repentedher。
　　“There，MasterJeremy，youbeagoodboyallday，andIdaresayyourfatherwilltakeyou，afterall；andwewon’tthinknomoreaboutwhatyousaidtomeinthe’eatofthemoment。“
　　ButJeremyanswerednothing；nordidherespondtothesmellofbacon，northeadvancesofHamlet，northefloodofsunlightthatpouredintotheroomfromthefrostyworldoutside。
　　Acompletecatastrophe。Theynoneofthemhadwantedtoseethisthingwiththeurgentexcitementthathehadfelt。Theyhadnotdreamtofitfordaysandnightsandnightsanddays，ashehaddone。Theirwholefutureexistencedidnotdependupontheirwitnessingthis，asdidhis。
　　Duringthatmorninghewasadesperatecreature，likesomethingcagedandtortured。Dohappymiddle-agedphilosophersassureusthatchildrenarelight-heartedandunfeelinganimals？LetthemrealisesomethingoftheagonywhichJeremysufferedthatday。Hiswholeworldhadgone。
　　Hewaswicked，anoutcast；hiswordcouldneverbetrustedagain；hewouldbepointedat，astheboywhohadtoldalie……AndhewouldnotmeetDickWhittington。
　　Theeternityofhispunishmenthungaroundhisnecklikeanironchain。Childhood’stragediesareterribletragedies，becauseachildhasnosenseoftime；amoment’sdismayiseternal；acarelesswordfromanelderisalastingjudgment；aninstant’sfollyisalifetime’smistake。
　　Thedaydraggeditswearylengthalong，andhescarcelymovedfromhiscornerbythefire。Hedidnotattemptconversationwithanyone。
　　OnceortwicetheJampottriedtopenetratebehindthatlittlemaskofangeranddismay。
　　“Come，now，thingsaren’tsobadasallthat。Youbeagoodboy，andgoandtellyourfatheryou’resorry……“or“Well，then，MasterJeremy，there’llbeanothertime，Idaresay，youcangotothethe-
　　ayter……“
　　Butshefoundnoresponse。Iftherewasonethingthatshehated，itwassulks。Heretheywere，sulksoftheworst——andso，likemanywiserthanherself，shecoveredupwithawordasituationthatshedidnotunderstand，andleftitatthat。
　　Theeveningcameon；thecurtainsweredrawn。Teaarrived；stillJeremysatthere，notspeaking，notraisinghiseyes，acondemnedcreature。MaryandHelenandHamlethadhadawretchedday。Theyallsympathisedwithhim。
　　Thegirlswenttodress。Seveno’clockstruck。TheyweretakendownstairsbyNurse，whohadhereveningout。Rose，thehousemaid，wouldsitwithMasterJeremy。
　　Doorsclosed，doorsopened，voicesechoed，carriage-wheelswereheard。
　　JeremyandHamletwerelefttothemselves……
　　III
　　Thelastdoorhadclosed，andthesuddensensethateveryonehadgoneandthathemightbehavenowashepleased，removedthearmourinwhichalldayhehadencasedhimself。
　　Heraisedhishead，lookedaboutthedesertednursery，andthen，withthesuddenconsciousnessofthatotherlightedandbusiedplacewhereWhittingtonwaspursuinghisadventures，heburstintotears。
　　Hesobbed，hisheaddownuponhisarms，andhisbodysqueezedtogethersothathiskneeswereclosetohisnoseandhishairinhisboots。Hamletrestoredhimtohimself。Insteadofassistinghismaster’sgrief，asasentimentaldogwouldhavedone，bysighingorsniffingorhowling，heyawned，stretchedhimself，androlledonthecarpet。Hedidnotbelieveingivingwaytofeelings，andhewassurprised，andperhapsdisappointed，atJeremy’slackofrestraint。
　　Jeremyfeltthis，andinalittlewhilesobscameveryslowly，andatlastwereonlylittleshudders，ratherpleasantandhealthy。Helookedabouthim，rubbedhisrednosewithahideouslydirtyhandkerchief，andfeltimmenselysleepy。
　　No，hewouldnotcryanymore。Rosewouldshortlyappear，andhedidnotintendtocrybeforehousemaids。Nevertheless，hisdesolationwassupreme。Hewasaliar。Hehadtoldliesbefore，buttheyhadnotbeendiscovered，andsotheywerescarcelylies……Now，insomestrangeway，thepublicationofhisliehadshownhimwhattrulyimpossiblethingslieswere。Hehadwitnessedthiseffectuponthegeneralpublic；hehadnotbelievedthathewassowicked。Hedidnotevennowfeelreallywicked，buthesawquiteclearlythattherewasoneworldforliarsandonefortruthfulmen。Hewanted，terriblybadly，someonetotellhimthathewasstillintherightworld……
　　Andthen，ontheotherside，thethoughtthatMaryandHelenwereatthisverymomentwitnessingthecolouredhistoryofDickWhittinglon，thehistorythathehadpursuedceaselesslyduringallthesedaysandnights——thatpictureofthemallinthelightedtheatre——oncemorenearlyovercamehim。Buthepulledhimselftogether。
　　Hesniffed，lefthisdirtyhandkerchief，andwentslowlyandsorrowfullytodragouthistoyvillagefromitscornerandseewhetheranythingcouldbedonewithit……Afterall，hewasgoingtoschoolinSeptember。Hispunishmentcouldnotbequitelimitless。
　　HamlethadjustshownhisapprovalofthismanlyconductbystrollingupandsniffingattheNoahfamily，whowere，asusual，ontheirwaytochurch，whenthedoorsuddenlyopened，andincameUncleSamuel。
　　Jeremyhadforgottenhisuncle，andnowblinkedupathimfromthefloor，wherehewassquatting，ratherashamedofhisswolleneyesandrednose。
　　UncleSamuel，however，hadnotimefordetails；hewasapparentlyinahurry。Hedidnotwearhisbluepainting-smock，butwasinacomparativelycleanblacksuit，andonthebackofhisheadwasasquashybrownhat。
　　“Comeon，“hesaid，“orweshallbetoolate。“
　　Jeremychoked。“Toolate？“herepeated。
　　“You’recoming，aren’tyou——tothePantomime？Theysentmebackforyou。“
　　Theroomsuddenlygotontoitslegs，likethefoodandthefamiliesduringAlice’sfeastinthe“LookingGlass，“andswunground，lurchingfromsidetoside，andcausingthefiretorunintothegasandthegastoflyoutofthewindow。
　　“I——don’t——understand，“Jeremystammered。
　　“Well，ifyoudon’tunderstandinhalfashake，“saidUncleSamuel，“youwon’tseeanyoftheshowatall。Goon。Washyourface。TherearestreaksofdirtalldownitasthoughyouwereapaintedIndian；
　　stickonyourcapandcoatandbootsandcomealong。“
　　ExactlyasonemovesinsleepsoJeremynowmoved。Hehadoncehadawonderfuldream，inwhichhehadbeenatamealthatincludedeverythingthathehadmostloved——fish-cakes，sausages，ices，strawberryjam，sponge-cake，chocolates，andscrambledeggs——andhehadbeenabletoeat，andeat，andhadneverbeensatisfied，andhadneverfeltsick——alovelydream。
　　Heoftenthoughtofit。Andnowinthesamebewilderingfashionhefoundhisbootsandcapandcoatandthen，deliberatelykeepingfromhimthethoughtofthePantomimelestheshouldsuddenlywakeup，hesaid：