Henrietta was wonderfully like the picture. Much more like than Rupert
ever was, which rather vexed him, because that ancestor was one of the
very bravest, and his name was Rupert. He was rather vexed, too, when
she rode the pony bare-backed which had kicked him off. But I think
the pony was fonder of Henrietta, which perhaps made it easier for her
to manage it. She used to feed it with bits of bread. It got them out
of her pocket.
One of the things Henrietta could not do as well as Rupert was
cricket. Rupert was one of the best players in the school. Henrietta
used to want to play with us at home, and she and I did play for a
bit, before breakfast, in the drying ground; but Rupert said, if I
encouraged her in being unladylike, he would not let me come to the
school matches. He said I might take my choice, and play either with
girls or boys, but not with both. But I thought it would be very mean
to leave Henrietta in the lurch. So I told her I would stick by her,
as Rupert had not actually forbidden me. He had given me my choice,
and he always kept his word. But she would not let me. She pretended
that she did not mind; but I know she did, for I could see afterwards
that she had been crying.
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