"What is the matter Miss?" asked Joe, as soon as Nockells turned away.

"The matter, oh Joe! I want Muff drowned; my cat I mean, my dear cat;"
and then she told her tale up to the point of Miss Webster's refusing to
admit Muff as a lodger, and cried most bitterly as she said, "and I
won't have her ill-treated, so I will drown her, will you do it for me
Joe, please do now, or my courage will be gone? but I won't stay to look
at it, so good-bye," said she, and slipping a shilling into Joe's hand,
ran home with the news to Fred, that the cat was by this time at the
bottom of the tea, and his canaries were safe for ever from her claws.

Fred was not a hard-hearted boy, and his sister's tale really grieved
him. He kissed her several times over, as he said he now wished he had
never bought the birds, that they had caused Edith nothing but trouble
and that he was very sorry.

"I am not sorry, Fred dear, at least I am only sorry for being forced to
drown Muff. I like to give you my room, and I like to give up my cat to
you, and I shall not cry any more about it, so don't be unhappy."

"And all this for me," said Fred; "I who teased you so yesterday
afternoon, and always am teasing you, I think!" How pleased Emilie
looked! She did not praise Edith, but she gave her such a look of
genuine approval as was a rich reward to her little pupil. "_This_ is
the way. Edith dear, to overcome evil with good; go on, _watch_ and
pray, and you will subdue Fred in time as well as your own evil
tempers."

How easy all this looks to read about! How swift the transition from bad