The all three of 'ems in the wash-house a-listening to every word you speaks." "Then I'll give them something to listen to," said the angry Perks; "I've spoke my mind to them afore now, and I'll do it again," he added, and he took two strides to the wash-house door, and flung it wide open--as wide, that is, as it would go, with the tightly packed children behind it.
"Come out," said Perks, "come out and tell me what you mean by it.

'Ave I ever complained to you of being short, as you comes this charity lay over me ?" "OH!" said Phyllis, "I thought you'd be so pleased; I'll never try to be kind to anyone else as long as I live.

No, I won't, not never." She burst into tears.
"We didn't mean any harm," said Peter.
"It ain't what you means so much as what you does," said Perks.
"Oh, DON'T!" cried Bobbie, trying hard to be braver than Phyllis, and to find more words than Peter had done for explaining in.

"We thought you'd love it.

We always have things on our birthdays." "Oh, yes," said Perks, "your own relations; that's different." "Oh, no," Bobbie answered.