"You will find playing a fly much harder work than carrying the fish you catch with it, young gentleman," he remarked. Before entering the house, Norman begged that he might have the fish again, to show them to the ladies in the drawing-room. He rushed in eagerly holding them up. "See mamma! see Mrs Maclean! see granny! what fine fish the laird and I have caught," he exclaimed. "I congratulate you, my dear," said his grandmamma, "which of them did you catch?" "Oh, the laird hooked them, and I sat in the boat, and brought them some of the way up to the house!" answered Norman. Fanny burst into a merry laugh. "You are always grinning at me," exclaimed Norman, turning round and going out of the room. Again his evil feelings were aroused. "I won't be laughed at by a girl," he said to himself, as he made his way towards the kitchen to deliver the fish to the cook. "I will pay her off, and she will be sorry that she jeered at me." "Well, young gentleman. These are fine fish," said the cook, "did you catch them all?" "No I didn't," answered Norman turning away, for he was afraid the cook would laugh at him, as Fanny had done, if he boasted of having caught them. "Fanny, you should not laugh at Norman," observed Mrs Vallery, "he cannot endure that sort of thing, as he has not been accustomed to it." "But, my dear Mary, don't you think it would be better that he should learn to endure it, and get accustomed to be joked with?" said Mrs Maclean. "When he goes to school he will be compelled to bear the jokes of his companions, if he gets angry on such occasions, they will only joke at him the more, and he will have a very uncomfortable time of it." "Poor boy! I am afraid what you say is true, but still, I do not consider that his sister should be the person to teach him the unpleasant lesson," answered Mrs Vallery. "I did not intend to hurt his feelings, and will find him and try to comfort him as well as I can," said Fanny, putting up her work. Fanny found Norman just going into his room to get ready for tea. "I am so sorry I laughed when you told us about the fish just now, Norman," she said putting her hand on his arm; "I did not intend to laugh at you, but only at what you said." "I do not see why you should have laughed at all, I don't like it, and won't stand it, and you had better not do it again," he answered, tearing himself away from her, and running into his room. She attempted to follow, but he slammed the door in her face, and shot the bolt, so that she could not enter. "My dear brother, do listen to me, I am very very sorry to have offended you, and will not, if I can help it, laugh at you again," she said, much grieved at his petulant behaviour. Norman made no answer, but she heard him stamping about in his room and knocking over several things. Finding all her efforts vain, she got ready for tea, and went to the dining-room, where that meal was spread in Highland fashion.