composure, and bidding her to look at the mousy! mousy!

What were the actions or sensations of poor Softdown at that
dreadful moment I know not: but my own anguish, which it is
impossible to describe, was still augmented every moment by seeing
her shake the trap almost topsy-turvy, then blow through the trap
at one end, at which times I saw the dear creature's tail come out
between the wires on the contrary side, as he was striving, I
suppose, to retreat from her. At length, after she had thus
tortured him for some time, she set the trap on the table, so
close to a large fire, that I am sure he must have been much
incommoded by the heat, and began to undress her child.

Then hearing somebody go by the door, she cried out, 'Who is
there? is it you, Betty? if it is, I wish you would come and take
down the mouse-trap, for I have caught a mouse.' Betty instantly
obeyed her call, and desired to know what she wanted. 'I want you
to take down the mouse-trap,' she replied, 'for I cannot leave the
child. I am glad that I have got it, I am sure, for the closet
swarms so, there is no such thing as bearing it. They devour
everything: I declare they have eaten up a whole pound of sugar,
which cost me elevenpence, sugar is now so monstrously dear!
indeed the man made a favour to let me have it for that; only, he
said, as our family were good customers, and I was but a servant,
he would take no more. And enough too I thought it was, to have
only a penny back in change out of a whole shilling for one pound
of sugar: and then to think of the poison mice to have it all;
but I will break their filthy necks. Do, Betty, pray take the
trap down, and return with it as soon as you can, and I will set
it again: for I dare say I shall catch another before I go to