'Yes, Ma'am.'

But it was a very matter-of-course sort of Yes, and disappointed Miss
Jane, who thought he would have been charmed with the 'Swiss Family
Robinson.'

Ellen spoke: 'Oh yes, Alfred, you know you did like it. I heard you
laughing to yourself at Ernest and the shell of soup. And Harold
reads that; and 'tis so seldom he will look at a book.'

Jane did not like this quite as well as if Alfred had spoken up more;
but she dived into her basket again, and brought out a neat little
packet of green leaves, with some strawberries done up in it, and
giving a little smile, she made sure that it would be acceptable.

Ellen thanked vehemently, and Alfred gave feeble thanks; but,
unluckily, he had so set his mind upon raspberries, that he could not
enjoy the thought of anything else. It was a sickly distaste for
everything, and Miss Selby saw that he was not as much pleased as she
meant him to be; she looked at him wistfully, and, half grieved, half
impatient, she longed to know what he would really like, or if he
were positively ungrateful. She was very young, and did not know
whether it was by his fault or her mistake that she had failed to
satisfy him.

Puck had raced up after her, and had come poking and snuffling round
Alfred. She would have called him away lest he should be too much
for one so weak, but she saw Alfred really did enjoy this: his hand
was in the long rough coat, and he was whispering, 'Poor Puck,' and