"Now I shall soon find out what is inside my ball," he said chuckling and placing it on the ground. Putting one foot on it, to hold it steady, he began cutting away with the huge knife. The part of the weapon he used was not very sharp, and as the leather yielded, he at first made no impression; at last he made a dig at the ball with the point of the knife, which quickly penetrated it, producing a wide gash. Out rushed the wind faster and faster, as he pressed down his foot, till the coating of leather and the thin bladder inside had become perfectly flat. He took it up wondering at the result, and shook it and told it to get fat again, but all to no purpose. He felt very much inclined to cry, when somehow or other he discovered, that he had done a very foolish thing, but he was not accustomed to blame himself. "Papa ought to have brought me a different sort of ball, which would not grow thin just because I happen to stick a knife into it," he muttered to himself. Again he threw down what had once been a ball, and stamped on it, and abused it for not doing as he told it. At last he began to think that the knife, which he supposed was his grandmamma's, might be missed and that she would scold him for carrying it away. Taking up the leather therefore, and finding that no one was near, he returned. On his way seeing a thick bush, he threw the case into it--for he was somewhat ashamed of letting his father know the folly of which he had been guilty. As no one had yet come down, he replaced the knife among the articles from which he had taken it, and ran up to his room. When he came back he found Fanny in the drawing-room reading, she told him that their granny and papa and mamma had gone in to dinner. "Cannot you do something to amuse me?" he asked. "Willingly," she answered, putting aside her own book, and she read some stories to him out of one of the picture-books. Susan came shortly to call the children to their tea, and they then went down to dessert in the dining-room. "Well, my boy, are you inclined to have another game at football before you go to bed?" asked Captain Vallery. "No," answered Norman, not liking the question, "I do not want to play any more to-day." "I thought you seemed so pleased with your football, that you would never get tired of it," observed Mrs Vallery. Norman made no answer. The ladies rose from the table, and Captain Vallery soon joined them in the drawing-room, they then strolled out on to the lawn to enjoy the cool air of that lovely summer evening. "Go and get your football, Norman," said Captain Vallery, "though you do not wish to play, I shall enjoy kicking it about to remind me of my schoolboy days." Norman did not move. "Go and get it, my dear, as your papa tells you," said Mrs Leslie, vexed at her grandson's disobedience. "I will go and get it--where did you leave it, Norman," said Fanny. "I do not know," he answered.