As for Fanny, dear girl, she loved them all, even
Ned, to whom she rendered homage and obedience; and to save whom from
their father's hard wrath, she now, at sight of us all issuing from
the gateway, suddenly stopped crying and tried to look as if nothing
were the matter.
Ned, seeing his father, paled and hesitated; but the next moment came
swaggering on, his face showing a curious succession of fear,
defiance, cringing, and a crafty hope of lying out of his offence.
It was, of course, the very thing Fanny did to shield him, that
certainly betrayed him; and when I knew from her sudden change of
conduct that he was indeed to blame, I would gladly have attacked him,
despite that he was twelve years old and I but ten. But I dared not
move in the presence of our elders, and moreover I saw at once Ned's
father would deal with him to our complete satisfaction.
"Go to your room, sir," said Mr. Faringfield, in his sternest tone,
looking his anger out of eyes as hard as steel. This meant for Master
Ned no supper, and probably much worse.
"Please, sir, I didn't do anything," answered Ned, with ill-feigned
surprise. "She fell and hurt her arm."
Fanny did not deny this, but she was no liar, and could not confirm
it. So she looked to the ground, and clasped her left wrist with her
right hand. But in this latter movement she again exposed her brother
by the very means she took to protect him; for quick-seeing Madge,
observing the action, gently but firmly unclasped the younger sister's
hand, and so disclosed the telltale marks of Ned's fingers upon the
delicate wrist, by squeezing or wrenching which that tyrant had
evinced his brotherly superiority.
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