ure," said Miss Ophelia. "I know I'd never let a child of
mine play with Topsy."

"Well, your children needn't," said St. Clare, "but mine may; if Eva
could have been spoiled, it would have been done years ago."

Topsy was at first despised and contemned by the upper servants. They
soon found reason to alter their opinion. It was very soon discovered
that whoever cast an indignity on Topsy was sure to meet with some
inconvenient accident shortly after;--either a pair of ear-rings or
some cherished trinket would be missing, or an article of dress would
be suddenly found utterly ruined, or the person would stumble
accidently into a pail of hot water, or a libation of dirty slop would
unaccountably deluge them from above when in full gala dress;-and on all
these occasions, when investigation was made, there was nobody found to
stand sponsor for the indignity. Topsy was cited, and had up before
all the domestic judicatories, time and again; but always sustained her
examinations with most edifying innocence and gravity of appearance.
Nobody in the world ever doubted who did the things; but not a scrap of
any direct evidence could be found to establish the suppositions, and
Miss Ophelia was too just to feel at liberty to proceed to any length
without it.

The mischiefs done were always so nicely timed, also, as further to
shelter the aggressor. Thus, the times for revenge on Rosa and Jane,
the two chamber maids, were always chosen in those seasons when (as not
unfrequently happened) they were in disgrace with their mistress, when
any complaint from them would of course meet with no sympathy. In short,
Topsy soon made the household understand the propriety of letting her
alone; and she was let alone, accordingly.

Topsy was smart and energetic in all manual operations, learning
everything that was taught her with surprising quickness. With a few
lessons, she had learned to do the proprieties of Miss Ophelia's chamber
in a way with which even that particular lady could find no fault.
Mortal hands could not lay spread smoother, adjust pillows more
accurately, sweep and dust and arrange more perfectly, than Topsy, when
she chose,--but she didn't very often choose. If Miss Ophelia, after
three or four days of careful patient supervision, was so sanguine as
to suppose that Topsy had at last fallen into her way, could do without
over-looking, and so go off and busy herself about something else, Topsy
would hold a perfect carniva