William the Good Read Online Free PDF

account for the summons. He was already regretting having obeyed it. He decided to take the offensive. Fixing a stern and scowling gaze upon Miss
Greene-Joanes, he said:
    ‘When you saw me in your garden yesterday I was jus’ gettin’ a ball of mine that’d gone over the wall into your garden. I was simply tryin’ to save you trouble by
goin’ an’ getting’ it myself, ’stead of troublin’ you goin’ to the front door. An’ that apple was one what I found lyin’ under your tree an’ I
thought I’d pick it up for you jus’ to help you tidy up the place ’cause it looks so untidy with apples lyin’ about under the trees all over the place.’
    ‘William,’ said Mrs Bruce Monkton-Bruce, ‘we did not ask you to come in in order to discuss your visit to Miss Greene-Joanes’ garden—’

    ‘WILLIAM BROWN!’ MRS MONKTON-BRUCE CALLED SHARPLY. ‘COME HERE.’

    WILLIAM SCOWLED AGGRESSIVELY. ‘I’VE NOT DONE NOTHIN’,’ HE SAID.
    William turned his steely eyes upon her and pursued his policy of taking the offensive.
    ‘Those stones you saw me throwin’ at your tree,’ he said, ‘was jus’ to kill grubs ’n’ things what might be doin’ it harm. I thought I’d help
you keep your garden nice by throwin’ stones at your tree to kill the grubs ’n’ things on it for you ’cause they were eatin’ away the bark or
somethin’.’
    ‘We didn’t bring you in to talk about that either, William,’ said Mrs Bruce Monkton-Bruce. Then, clearing her throat, she said: ‘You were whistling as you went down the
road, were you not?’
    William’s stern and freckled countenance expressed horror and amazement.
    ‘ Well! ’ he said. ‘ Well! I bet I was hardly makin’ any noise at all. ’Sides’ – aggressively – ‘there’s nothin’ to
stop folks jus’ whistlin ’, is there? In the street. If they want to. I wasn’t doin’ you any harm , was I? Jus’ whistlin ’ in the street. If you’ve gotta headache or anythin’ an’ don’ want me to I won’t not till I get into the nex’ street where you won’t hear me. Not now I
know. You needn’t’ve brought me in jus’ to say that. If you’d jus’ shouted it out of the window I’d’ve heard all right. But I don’t see you
can blame me jus’ for—’
    Mrs Bruce Monkton-Bruce held out a hand feebly to stem the tide of his eloquence.
    ‘It’s not that, William,’ she said faintly. ‘Do stop talking for two minutes, and let me speak. We – we were interested in your whistle. Would you –
would you kindly repeat it in here – just to let us hear again what it sounds like?’
    William was proud of his whistle and flattered to be thus asked to perform in public. He paused a minute to gather his forces together, drew in his breath, then emitted a sound that would have
done credit to a factory siren.
    Miss Georgine Hammersley screamed. Miss Gwladwyn, who was poised girlishly on the arm of her chair, lost her balance and fell on to the floor. Mrs Bruce Monkton-Bruce clapped her hands to her
ears with a moan of agony and Miss Greene-Joanes lay back in her chair in a dead faint, from which, however, as no one took any notice of her, she quickly recovered. William, immensely flattered by
this reception of his performance, murmured modestly:
    ‘I can do a better one still this way,’ and proceeded to put a finger into each corner of his mouth and to draw in his breath for another blast.
    With great presence of mind, Mrs Bruce Monkton-Bruce managed to put her hand across his face just in time.
    ‘No, William,’ she said brokenly, ‘not like that – not like that—’
    ‘I warn you,’ said Miss Greene-Joanes, in a shrill, trembling voice, ‘I shall have hysterics if he does it again. I’ve already fainted,’ she went on, in a
reproachful voice, ‘but nobody noticed me. I won’t be answerable for what happens to me if that boy stays in the room a minute longer.’
    ‘Send him away,’ moaned Miss Featherstone,