And not to climb _once_ up merely.

_The_ terrible thing was Mr.
Kneebreeches' favourite method of what he called "proving." I can't explain it--it is far beyond my poor powers--but it had something to do with cutting off the top line, after you had added it all up and had actually done the sum, you understand--cutting off the top line and adding the long rows up again without it, and then joining it on again somewhere else.
"I wouldn't mind so much," said poor Griselda, one day, "if it was any good.

But you see, Aunt Grizzel, it isn't.

For I'm just as likely to do the _proving_ wrong as the sum itself--more likely, for I'm always so tired when I get to the proving--and so all that's proved is that _something's_ wrong, and I'm sure that isn't any good, except to make me cross." "Hush!" said her aunt gravely.

"That is not the way for a little girl to speak.