began reading her list of poor Phyllis's misadventures. 'On Monday
she tore her frock by climbing a laurel-tree, to look at a
blackbird's nest.'

'I gave her leave,' said Emily. 'Rachel had ordered her not to
climb; and she was crying because she could not see the nest that Wat
Greenwood had found.'

'On Tuesday she cried over her French grammar, and tore a leaf out of
the old spelling-book.'

'That was nearly out before,' said Emily, 'Maurice and Redgie spoilt
that long ago.'

'I do not know of anything on Wednesday, but on Thursday she threw
Ada down the steps out of the nursery.'

'Oh! that accounts for the dreadful screaming that I heard,' said
Claude; 'I forgot to ask the meaning of it.'

'I am sure it was Phyl that was the most dismayed, and cried the
loudest,' said Lily.

'That she always does,' said Jane. 'On Friday we had an uproar in
the schoolroom about her hemming, and on Saturday she tumbled into a
wet ditch, and tore her bonnet in the brambles; on Sunday, she
twisted her ancles together at church.'

'Well, there I did chance to observe her,' said Lily, 'there seemed
to be a constant struggle between her ancles and herself, they were