"Lad is too white and clean and square to hurt anything that
can't hit back," continued the Master. "And you are not. That's
the difference between you. One of the several million
differences,--all of them in Lad's favor. When a child begins
life by being cruel to dumb animals, it's a pretty bad sign for
the way he's due to treat his fellow-humans in later years,--if
ever any of them are at his mercy. For your own sake, learn to
behave at least as decently as a dog. If--"
"You let me down, you big bully!" squalled Cyril, bellowing with
impotent fury. "You let me down! I--"
"Certainly," assented the Master, lowering him to the floor. "I
didn't hurt you. I only held you so you couldn't run out of the
room, before I'd finished speaking; as you did, the time I caught
you putting red pepper on Lad's food. He--"
"You wouldn't dare touch me, if my folks were here, you big
bully!" screeched the child, in a veritable mania of rage;
jumping up and down and actually foaming at the mouth. "But I'll
tell 'em on you! See if I don't! I'll tell 'em how you slung me
around and said I was worsen a dirty dog like Lad.
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