This is worse than being with Mrs. Thomas."
Charlie, however, went at it with a will, and was busily engaged in putting
the finishing touches on Alfred's boots, when he heard his name called, and
on looking up, saw Mrs. Bird upon the piazza above. "Why, bless me!
child, what are you about?--whose boots are those, and why are you cleaning
them?"
"Oh!" he replied, his face brightening up at the sight of Mrs. Bird, "I'm
so glad you're come; those are Mr. Tyndall's boots, and these," he
continued, holding up the boots on which he was engaged, "are the
gardener's."
"And who, pray, instructed you to clean them?"
"The gardener," replied Charlie.
"He did, did he?" said Mrs. Bird, indignantly. "Very well; now do you take
off that apron and come to me immediately; before you do, however, tell
Alfred I want him."
Charlie quickly divested himself of the tow apron, and after having
informed the gardener that Mrs. Bird desired his presence in the parlour,
he ran up there himself. Alfred came lumbering up stairs, after giving his
boots an unusual scraping and cleansing preparatory to entering upon that
part of the premises which to him was generally forbidden ground.
"By whose direction did you set the child at that dirty work?" asked Mrs.
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