He continued to shower Cecily with notes , the spelling of which showed no improvement ; he worried the life out of her by constantly threatening to fight Willy Fraser -- although , as Felicity sarcastically pointed out , he never did it . `` But I 'm always afraid he will , '' said Cecily , `` and it would be such a DISGRACE to have two boys fighting over me in school . '' `` You must have encouraged Cyrus a little in the beginning or he 'd never have been so persevering , '' said Felicity unjustly . `` I never did ! '' cried outraged Cecily . `` You know very well , Felicity King , that I hated Cyrus Brisk ever since the very first time I saw his big , fat , red face . So there ! '' `` Felicity is just jealous because Cyrus did n't take a notion to her instead of you , Sis , '' said Dan . `` Talk sense ! '' snapped Felicity . `` If I did you would n't understand me , sweet little sister , '' rejoined aggravating Dan . Finally Cyrus crowned his iniquities by stealing the denied lock of Cecily 's hair . One sunny afternoon in school , Cecily and Kitty Marr asked and received permission to sit out on the side bench before the open window , where the cool breeze swept in from the green fields beyond . To sit on this bench was always considered a treat , and was only allowed as a reward of merit ; but Cecily and Kitty had another reason for wishing to sit there . Kitty had read in a magazine that sun-baths were good for the hair ; so both she and Cecily tossed their long braids over the window-sill and let them hang there in the broiling sun-shine . And while Cecily sat thus , diligently working a fraction sum on her slate , that base Cyrus asked permission to go out , having previously borrowed a pair of scissors from one of the big girls who did fancy work at the noon recess . Outside , Cyrus sneaked up close to the window and cut off a piece of Cecily 's hair . This rape of the lock did not produce quite such terrible consequences as the more famous one in Pope 's poem , but Cecily 's soul was no less agitated than Belinda 's . She cried all the way home from school about it , and only checked her tears when Dan declared he 'd fight Cyrus and make him give it up . `` Oh , no , You must n't . ''
XXXXX Cecily , struggling with her sobs .
agitated asked checked crowned denied hang persevering rejoined said take