"Oh, Annette!" said Mrs. Harcourt, turning to her granddaughter after
Mr. Thomas had left the door; "What makes you so naughty? Why did you
pour that oil on Mrs. Larkin's steps; didn't you know it was wrong?"

Annette stood silent looking like a guilty culprit.

"Why don't you answer me; what makes you behave so bad?"

"I don't know, grandma, I 'specs I did it for the devil. The preacher
said the devil makes people do bad things."

"The preacher didn't say any such thing; he said the devil tempts people
to be bad, but you are not to mind every thing the devil tells you to
do, if you do, you will get yourself into a lot of trouble."

"Well, grandma, Mrs. Larkins is so mean and cross and she is always
telling tales on me and I just did it for fun."

"Well, that is very poor fun. You deserve a good whipping, and I've a
great mind to give it to you now."

"Why don't she let me alone; she is all the time trying to get you to
beat me. She's a spiteful old thing anyhow. I don't like her, and I know
she don't like me."

"Hush Annette, you must not talk that way of any one so much older than
yourself. When I was a child I wouldn't have talked that way about any
old person. Don't let me hear you talk that way again. You will never