and wondering whether or no he should reprimand them. Surely, he decided, if they lack manners even at such a time as this, this is the time to speak of it.
“Children must not stare at their elders,” he said. “That is ill-bred.”
“Huh?” both of them asked. What’s “stare,” they wondered; “elders”; “ill-bred”?
“Say,’Sir,’or’I beg your pardon, Father.’”
“Sir?” Rufus said.
“You,” Father Jackson said to Catherine.
“Sir?” Catherine said.
“You must not stare at people-look at them, as you are looking at me.”
“Oh,” Rufus said. Catherine’s face turned red.
“Say,’Excuse me, Father.’”
“Excuse me, Father.”
“You,” Father Jackson said to Catherine.
Catherine became still redder.
“Excuse me, Father,” Rufus whispered.
“No prompting, please,” Father Jackson broke in, in a voice pitched for a large class. “Come now, little girl, it is never too soon to learn to be little ladies and little gentlemen, is it?”
Catherine said nothing.
“Is it?” Father Jackson asked Rufus.
“I don’t know,” Rufus replied.
“I consider that a thoroughly uncivil answer to a civil question,” said Father Jackson.
“Yes,” Rufus said, beginning to turn cold in the pit of his stomach. What was “uncivil”?
“You agree,” Father Jackson said. “Say,’yes, Father.’”
“Yes, Father,” Rufus said.
“Then you are aware of your incivility. It is deliberate and calculated,” Father Jackson said.
