own came the water, splashing Ettie's velvet frock and wetting her
shoes, and making pools on the drawing-room carpet. What fun it was! so
Master Tom thought, and so did Ettie; and the more he emptied the
water-bottles the more they both shouted with glee.

Guided by the noise, Nurse soon arrived at the door.

"Open the door! open the door!"

But Master Tom took no notice. Nurse might batter away as she liked; he
was safe inside.

"What are you doing?"

"Playing at rain," cried Ettie; "my frock and my shoes all wet. It is
rainy day, Nurse."

"The road is all of puddles," said Master Tom; "splash, splash; don't
you hear it?"

Yes, Nurse _did_ hear it, and wondered what it was.

"I've finished the bottles," said Master Tom; "now for the watering-can,
it's quite full. It will come down like a shower-bath, Ettie."

"Oh! oh! oh!" gasped Ettie, for the umbrella slipped from her hand and
she received the contents of the watering-can on her head, neck, and
arms. Then Ettie, for the first time, began to cry.

"You bad boy," cried Nurse in a state of despair; "open the door or I
will have it broken open."

Master Tom unlocked the door, and then making a rapid retreat to one of
the windows, he leaped through it almost before Nurse had opened the
door.

Nurse held up her hands in dismay. The beautiful drawing-room carpet was
soaked with water, and in the midst, crouched on the floor, sat Ettie,
with her hair and her fine velvet frock dripping.

"Tom poured water," sobbed Ettie, as Nurse lifted her off the ground.

Nurse rang the bell lustily, and the housemaid came running to see what
was the matter.

"What will the mistress say?" said Jane as she looked at the carpet; "I
shouldn't wonder if it is spoiled altogether."

"I know what I should say, and what I shall say!" said Nurse; "I shall
tell the mistress that if something isn't done to curb Master Tom, he'll
be such a plague, that no one will care to see him. I've had such a day
with him to-day as I don't intend to have again!"

And Nurse carried Ettie off to the nursery, where she took off her wet
clothes, and put her into a warm bed. For Ettie was shivering, though it
was a hot day, and Nurse gave out that she thought Master Tom would make
his sister quite ill.

Which opinion reached Tom's ears; so he crept upstairs cautiously.

"Nurse, nurse," he said, "is Ettie very bad?"

"She's got a shivering and a shaking, and it may be an inflammation,"
said Nur