I am very fond of being confided in by children and am happy in being usually favoured in that respect, but on this occasion it gave me great uneasiness. As soon as we were out of doors, Egbert, with the manner of a little footpad, demanded a shilling of me on the ground that his pocket-money was "boned" from him. On my pointing out the great impropriety of the word, especially in connexion with his parent (for he added sulkily "By her!"), he pinched me and said, "Oh, then! Now! Who are you! YOU wouldn't like it, I think? What does she make a sham for, and pretend to give me money, and take it away again? Why do you call it my allowance, and never let me spend it?" These exasperating questions so inflamed his mind and the minds of Oswald and Francis that they all pinched me at once, and in a dreadfully expert way--screwing up such little pieces of my arms that I could hardly forbear crying out. 
I am very fond of being confided in by children, but on this occasion it gave me great uneasiness. As soon as we were out of doors, Egbert demanded a shilling of me on the ground that his pocket-money was "boned" from him. On my pointing out the great impropriety of the word, he pinched me and said, "You wouldn't like it! Why does she pretend to give me money, and take it away again? Why do you call it my allowance, and never let me spend it?"
These exasperating questions so inflamed his mind and the minds of Oswald and Francis that they all pinched me in a dreadfully expert way, and