Sister Mary Felice said: ``But you threw her down. You must tell
her you are sorry.''

Then the little girl said: ``But I didn't mean to throw her down.''

``But,'' Sister Mary Felice said, ``you did trip her up, and you must
beg her pardon.''

Then Sister Theckla came to take all the little girls to the room
where so many chairs sat in so many rows, and she too said: ``Yes,
you must beg her pardon.''

Bessie Bell was listening so that she had almost stopped crying, but
now when Sister Story Felice and Sister Theckla both said to the
little girl, ``Yes, you must beg pardon,'' then the little girl began
to cry, too.

Then Bessie Bell grew so sorry again, she hardly knew why, or for
what, that she began to cry again.

So then both Sisters said again: ``Yes, you should beg pardon.''

But the little girl still cried, and said, ``But I didn't mean to
trip her.'' Then she shook her head at Bessie Bell and said--because
she just had to say it:

``I beg your pardon!
Grant me grace!
I hope the cat will scratch your face! ''