Whether Mrs Sommers' diplomacy would have proved equal to coping with the difficulty remained an undetermined point, for at this moment Mr Sommers entered the room, and his wife, manifestly relieved at his opportune arrival, shifted the responsibility of parental authority to his shoulders. Mr Sommers, while he appreciated the enormity of the offence, admitted in his own mind--though he would not have allowed his son to suspect it--extenuating circumstances. Had he been thirty years younger he would probably have acted in a similar manner. Eliza would exasperate any small boy into committing an assault. "Come here," said Charlie Sommers. He seated himself in a chair, and drew his son towards him and held him firmly between his knees. "Why did you kick Eliza?" "Because she's a disagreeable cat," replied John. "It is very rude to call people names," his father said with a severity he was far from feeling, his opinion coinciding with his son's. "And it is very rude to your uncle to behave in this way in his house. I expect he will not invite you again. Don't you know it is very wrong to kick?" John deliberated this. He knew very well that it was wrong, but he had a strong disinclination towards admitting it. His father waited for an answer. "Yes," he acknowledged grudgingly. "And aren't you sorry for doing wrong?" "No," the culprit replied with less hesitation this time. "Then I must make you sorry," said Mr Sommers resolutely. "Do you want me to spank you, John?" John began to whimper. Of the three adults present John Musgrave was the most unpleasantly affected by his namesake's tears; familiarity with John junior's little tricks had hardened his parents' sensibilities. "Don't you think," said Mr Musgrave uneasily, "that you are-- frightening the child?" Charlie Sommers looked at his brother-in-law with amusement. "He is less frightened than you are," he answered. "He is only bent on getting his own way. Ring the bell, Uncle John, for Eliza. John is going to tell her he is sorry." "I'm n-not sorry," blubbered John. "You will be presently. If you won't tell Eliza you are sorry for kicking her I am going to spank you." Mr Musgrave rang the bell and Eliza answered it in person, looking more sour than usual by reason of her outraged feelings. When her glance fell on Master John Sommers, sulky and unrepentant, but decidedly less confident, she sniffed indignantly and looked with cold disapproval on the assembled group. Mr Musgrave walked away to the window and stood with his back to the room. For the first time since he had engaged her he was not sure that he approved of Eliza, and he had never before felt so irritated with her habit of sniffing. "I regret to hear that my little boy has been rude to you," Mr Sommers said. "I have troubled you to come here in order that he shall apologise. Now, John, tell Eliza that you are sorry for being naughty." "I'm--"