And when the finger-glass full of cold water had been upset on to Mr.
Brown's shirt-front, Amelia's mamma would cry--"Oh dear, oh
dear-r-Ramelia!" and carry her off with the ladies to the drawing-room.

Here she would scramble on to the ladies' knees, or trample out the
gathers of their dresses, and fidget with their ornaments, startling
some luckless lady by the announcement, "I've got your bracelet undone
at last!" who would find one of the divisions broken open by force,
Amelia not understanding the working of a clasp.

Or perhaps two young lady friends would get into a quiet corner for a
chat. The observing child would sure to spy them, and run on to them,
crushing their flowers and ribbons, and crying--"You two want to talk
secrets, I know. I can hear what you say. I'm going to listen, I am.
And I shall tell, too;" when perhaps a knock at the door announced the
Nurse to take Miss Amelia to bed, and spread a general rapture of
relief.

Then Amelia would run to trample and worry her mother, and after much
teasing, and clinging, and complaining, the Nurse would be dismissed,
and the fond mamma would turn to the lady next to her, and say with a
smile--"I suppose I must let her stay up a little. It is such a treat
to her, poor child!"

But it was no treat to the visitors.

Besides tormenting her fellow-creatures, Amelia had a trick of teasing
animals. She was really fond of dogs, but she was still fonder of doing
what she was wanted not to do, and of worrying everything and everybody
about her. So she used to tread on the tips of their tails, and pretend
to give them biscuit, and then hit them on the nose, besides pulling at
those few, long, sensitive hairs which thin-skinned dogs wear on the
upper lip.

Now Amelia's mother's acquaintances were so very well-bred and amiable,
that they never spoke their minds to either the mother or the daughter
about what they endured from the latter's rudeness, wilfulness, and
powers of destruction. But this was not the case with the dogs, and
they expressed their sentiments by many a growl and snap. At last one
day Amelia was tormenting a snow-white bulldog (who was certainly as
well-bred and as amiable as any living creature in the kingdom), and
she did not see that even his patience was becoming worn out. His pink
nose became crimson with increased irritation, his upper lip twitched
over his teeth, behind which he was rolling as many warning R's as
Amelia's mother herself.