d not premeditate her disobedience; but she actually has
not a tolerable frock to appear in now!"

"I must lend her one of my velvet dresses to destroy next," said Lady
Rockville, smiling.

"Uncle David's Mackintosh cloak would be the fittest thing for her to
wear," replied Lady Harriet, rising to leave the room. "Laura, you must
learn a double task now! Here it is! and at Lady Rockville's request I
excuse you this once; though I am sorry that, for very sufficient
reasons, we cannot see you at dessert, which otherwise I should have
been most happy to do."

Laura sat down and cried during a quarter of an hour after Lady Harriet
had gone to dinner. She felt sorry for having behaved ill, and sorry to
have vexed her good grandmama; and sorry not to see all the fine party
at dessert; and sorry to think that next day she must leave Holiday
House; and sorry, last of all, to consider what Mrs. Crabtree would say
when all her ruined frocks were brought home. In short, poor Laura felt
perfectly overwhelmed with the greatness and variety of her griefs, and
scarcely believed that any one in the world was ever more miserable than
herself.

Her eyes were fixed on her task, while her thoughts were wandering fifty
miles away from it, when a housemaid, who had frequently attended upon
Laura during her visit, accidentally entered the room, and seemed much
surprised, as well as concerned, to find the young lady in such a way,
for her sobbing could be heard in the next room. It was quite a relief
to see any one; so Laura told over again all the sad adventures of the
day, without attempting to conceal how naughty she had been; and most
attentively was her narrative listened to, till the very end.

"You see, Miss!" observed Nelly, "when people doesn't behave well, they
must expect to be punished."

"So they should!" sobbed Laura; "and I dare say it will make me better!
I would not pass such a miserable day as this again, for the world; but
I deserve to be more punished than I am."

"That's right, Miss!" replied Nelly, pleased to see the good effect of
her admonitions. "Punishment is as sure to do us good when we are
naughty, as physic when we are ill. But now you'll go down to dessert,
and forget it all."

"No! grandmama would have allowed me, and Lady Rockville and every body
was so very kind about inviting me down; but my last clean frock is
quite unfit to be seen, so I have none to put on. Oh, dear! what a
thousand million of pi