“Oh, you scamps, you bad, wicked imps!” she said, reaching out to box all their ears, and of course failing.

She sat down on the bottom stair to laugh for a second, then she handed the General to Pip.  “To-morrow,” she said, standing up and hastily smoothing the rich hair that the General’s hands had clutched gleefully—­“to-morrow I shall beat every one of you with the broomstick.”

They watched the train of her yellow’ silk dress disappear into the dining-room again, and returned slowly to the nursery and their interrupted tea.

CHAPTER III Virtue Not Always Rewarded

It was not to be expected that such an occurrence could be passed entirely over, but then again it is difficult to punish seven children at the same time.  At first Captain Woolcot had requested Esther to ask Miss Marsh, the governess, to give them all ten French verbs to learn; but, as Judy pointed out, the General and Baby and Bunty and Neil had not arrived at the dignity of French verbs yet, so such a punishment would be iniquitous.  The sentence therefore had not been quite decided upon as yet, and everyone felt in an uncomfortable state of suspense.

“Your father says you’re a disgraceful tribe,” said the young stepmother slowly, sitting down on the nursery rocking-chair a day later.  She had on a trailing morning wrapper of white muslin with cherry ribbons, but there was a pin doing duty for a button in one or two places and the lace was hanging off a bit at the sleeve.

“Meg, dear, you’re very untidy, you know, and Judy’s absolutely hopeless.”

Meg was attired in an unbecoming green cashmere, with the elbows out and the plush torn off in several places, while Judy’s exceedingly scant and faded pink zephyr had rents in several places, and the colour was hardly to be seen for fruit-stains.

Meg coloured a little.  “I know, Esther, and I’d like to be nicely-dressed as well as anyone, but it really isn’t worth mending these old things.”

She picked up her book about the elegant girls who were disturbing her serenity and went over to the armchair with it.

“Well, Judy, you go and sew up those rents, and put some buttons on your frock.”  Esther spoke with unusual determination.

Judy’s eyes snapped and sparkled.

“’Is that a dagger that I see before me, the handle to my hand?  Come, let me grasp it,’” she said saucily, snatching one of the pins from Esther’s dress, fastening her own with it, and dropping a curtsey.

Esther reddened a little now.

“That’s the General, Judy:  he always pulls the buttons off my wrappers when I play with him.  But I’m forgetting.  Children, I have bad news for you.”

There was a breathless silence.  Everyone crowded round her knees.

“Sentence has been proclaimed,” said Judy dramatically:  “let us shave our heads and don sackcloth.”