But Mrs. Carr jarred her legs most terrible , and has had nervous spasms ever since whenever she thinks of the eel . Say , it was a rotten trick to play on the poor old soul . She 's a decent body , if she is as queer as Dick 's hat band . '' Faith and Una looked at each other again . This was a matter for the Good-Conduct Club . They would not talk it over with Mary . `` There goes your pa , '' said Mary as Mr. Meredith passed them , `` and never seeing us no more 'n if we were n't here . Well , I 'm getting so 's I do n't mind it . But there are folks who do . '' Mr. Meredith had not seen them , but he was not walking along in his usual dreamy and abstracted fashion . He strode up the hill in agitation and distress . Mrs. Alec Davis had just told him the story of Carl and the eel . She had been very indignant about it . Old Mrs. Carr was her third cousin . Mr. Meredith was more than indignant . He was hurt and shocked . He had not thought Carl would do anything like this . He was not inclined to be hard on pranks of heedlessness or forgetfulness , but THIS was different . THIS had a nasty tang in it . When he reached home he found Carl on the lawn , patiently studying the habits and customs of a colony of wasps .
Calling him into the study Mr. Meredith confronted him , with a sterner face than any XXXXX his children had ever seen before , and asked him if the story were true .
about as at for if of on since than to