ed, and he looked so stern and angry that
the little girl felt frightened, and dropping the jug, scrambled off
the chair, seized her flowers, and ran out of his sight as fast as
she could.

"I only did it for fun, Ashton," she called back from the door. "It
is clean water, so it won't do any harm."

"Harm, indeed!" grumbled Ashton; "just as I thought I had everything
done until dinner time. Now I must begin and rub up all this glass
again;" and he began at once to remove the glasses from the table.
"Little himp that she is, that Miss Bunny! A perfect himp, and if I
had the governessing of her for sometime I'd--I'd--bah! there's that
bell again! Some folks is in a mighty hurry," and full of anger and
indignation against the little girl whom he could not punish for her
naughty trick, Ashton hurried to the hall door, longing for
something upon which he could vent his wrath.

Bunny was skipping merrily in the hall, and the pretty roses that
she had gathered with so much pleasure lay scattered on the ground.
This sight did not tend to put the butler in a better temper, but he
made no remark, and passing by the little girl without a word he
opened the hall door with a jerk. A poor boy with a thin pinched
face stood upon the step.

"If you please, sir, will you give me a bit of bread, for I am very
hungry?" he said in an imploring voice, as he gazed up into the
butler's face.

"There's nothing for you. How dare you come here with your wretched
lies?" cried Ashton fiercely, and he shut the door with a bang.

"That's not true, Ashton," cried Bunny darting forward and opening
the door again. "Wait, little boy, and I will get you something!"
and before the astonished butler knew where he was, she had rushed
into the dining-room, and came back carrying a large loaf and a pat
of butter that she had found upon the side-board.

"You must not give that away, Miss Bunny," cried the man; "that is
in my charge, and I cannot allow you to give it to a beggar;" and he
tried to drag the bread from her hands.

"You nasty man! I will give it to him if I like," she screamed. "My
papa always lets me do what I like, and you are only a servant--and
I will give it;" and she struggled to get away from him. "I only put
the water in your glasses for fun--but I'm very glad I did it--and I
wish I had put dirty water in--and I wish--let me go--I'll tell
papa, and he'll be very angry and--"

"Bunny," said a soft reproachful voice, "my dear chil