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The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

The_Complete_Chronicles_of_Narnia_(volumes_1-7,_in_order_of_publication)

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"Now, look here," said the boy, "there's no good us all -"<br />

He meant well, but he did talk rather like someone beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g a lecture. Jill suddenly flew<br />

<strong>in</strong>to a temper (which is quite a likely th<strong>in</strong>g to happen if you have been <strong>in</strong>terrupted <strong>in</strong> a<br />

cry).<br />

"Oh, go away and m<strong>in</strong>d your own bus<strong>in</strong>ess," she said. "Nobody asked you to come<br />

barg<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>, did they? And you're a nice person to start tell<strong>in</strong>g us what we all ought to do,<br />

aren't you? I suppose you mean we ought to spend all our time suck<strong>in</strong>g up to <strong>The</strong>m, and<br />

curry<strong>in</strong>g favour, and danc<strong>in</strong>g attendance on <strong>The</strong>m like you do."<br />

"Oh, Lor!" said the boy, sitt<strong>in</strong>g down on the grassy bank at the edge <strong>of</strong> the shrubbery and<br />

very quickly gett<strong>in</strong>g up aga<strong>in</strong> because the grass was soak<strong>in</strong>g wet. His name unfortunately<br />

was Eustace Scrubb, but he wasn't a bad sort.<br />

"Pole!" he said. "Is that fair? Have I been do<strong>in</strong>g anyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the sort this term? Didn't I<br />

stand up to Carter about the rabbit? And didn't I keep the secret about Spivv<strong>in</strong>s - under<br />

torture too? And didn't I -"<br />

"I d-don't know and I don't care," sobbed Jill.<br />

Scrubb saw that she wasn't quite herself yet and very sensibly <strong>of</strong>fered her a pepperm<strong>in</strong>t.<br />

He had one too. Presently Jill began to see th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> a clearer light.<br />

"I'm sorry, Scrubb," she said presently. "I wasn't fair. You have done all that - this term."<br />

"<strong>The</strong>n wash out last term if you can," said Eustace. "I was a different chap then. I was -<br />

gosh! what a little tick I was."<br />

"Well, honestly, you were," said Jill.<br />

"You th<strong>in</strong>k there has been a change, then?" said Eustace.<br />

"It's not only me," said Jill. "Everyone's been say<strong>in</strong>g so. <strong>The</strong>y've noticed it. Eleanor<br />

Blakiston heard Adela Pennyfather talk<strong>in</strong>g about it <strong>in</strong> our chang<strong>in</strong>g room yesterday. She<br />

said, `Someone's got hold <strong>of</strong> that Scrubb kid. He's quite unmanageable this term. We<br />

shall have to attend to him next.'"<br />

Eustace gave a shudder. Everyone at Experiment House knew what it was like be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

"attended to" by <strong>The</strong>m.<br />

Both children were quiet for a moment. <strong>The</strong> drops dripped <strong>of</strong>f the laurel leaves.<br />

"Why were you so different last term?" said Jill presently.<br />

"A lot <strong>of</strong> queer th<strong>in</strong>gs happened to me <strong>in</strong> the hols," said Eustace mysteriously.

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