There was a dust-sheet laid out on the floor very neatly, and it was all covered with soot. A lot of soot had got on the carpet, too, around. All the vases on the mantelpiece were covered with soot and standing quite deep in it, and the pictures near had a layer of soot on the tops. Even the chairs had a good lot of soot on them. And there in the middle, hanging down in the fireplace were a pair of bare and very sooty legs. “Teddy,” Fräulein called loud and angrily. She had come in behind me without my noticing her. There was a sort of scuffle, and Teddy came tumbling down the chimney into the fender, bringing a whole cloud of soot with him. He had only got his shirt on, and he had the hearthbrush in one hand and the poker in the other. He was dirtier than any one I ever saw; he did look beautifully real though. “It wanted sweeping awfully, couldn’t have been done for a million years,” he spluttered, very pleased. Well, Fräulein was furious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so angry, certainly not with Teddy. And now the awful part comes. She caught hold of Teddy and whipped him, really whipped him, not fun! Teddy was so astonished that for the first two slaps he never made a sound; then he simply howled. He sobbed with squeaks all the way into the bathroom, and all the time Fräulein bathed him and all the time she dried him, and when she carried him into the schoolroom and put him in front of the fire, he was still sobbing. Fräulein went to get him out some clean clothes and things but he stood there, wrapped in a big bath towel, sobbing and sobbing and squeaking until I couldn’t bear it. I went and put my arm round him. I’d thought it rather a shame all the time, because I don’t see that he’d been so very naughty. No one had ever told him he mustn’t climb up chimneys and sweep them. Of course it was very silly of him, and I knew Mother wouldn’t like the soot all over the drawing-room carpet, especially when it’s Persian and the best one in the house, not to mention the chairs and pictures and it’s being a trouble for the servants. Still I’m sure Mother wouldn’t have whipped Teddy. So I put my arms round him and whispered, “Never mind, Ted, it’s all right now. It’s all right.” Fräulein came into the room, but she didn’t say anything. She gave me his shirt and knickerbockers to put on, and went off to get his stockings. I believe she was rather sorry she’d done it herself. At last Teddy began to speak, though he was still sobbing. “Th--there’s one th--thing, though, she th--thinks she h--hurt me, but she d--didn’t; no, not a bit.” “Well, if I didn’t, why are you crying, then?” Fräulein said, who had come in suddenly. Teddy didn’t answer. He went on sobbing, but much less. Suddenly he whispered in my ear, “She didn’t h--hurt me h--half as much as you often do when we’re Grimesing,” and then he smiled a little bit. So I said, “Shall I be Grimes now?” and he nodded. Fräulein had gone away again by now.