Just as if I had taken the horrid stuff to eat, when so great was my agitation that I could partake of nothing. So there I was, with my face and neck burning in a most "abnormal" way, as Miss Furness would have called it, wiping and smearing the butter about over the pane of glass, and hardly seeing what I was doing for the tears; when there was that Patty Smith staring at me with her great saucer eyes, and her mouth made round and open, as if it had been another eye, and Clara the whole time enjoying it all, and laughing at my discomfort. It was really much too bad, for it was all her fault: the wicked, mischievous, impish creature had seen me put the pieces of bread and butter into my pocket, and had actually set Patty to snatch the handkerchief out. "The plan succeeded beyond my expectations, darling," she exclaimed afterwards, when we were alone; and I did not slap her--which, without boasting, must, I think, show how forgiving a spirit I possess. But, to return to the scene in the room. When I had finished smearing the window with my pretty little cambric handkerchief, I threw open the sash, and was going to fling out the little pieces of bread-crumbs for the poor little birds-- "Miss Bozerne!" exclaimed Miss Furness, "what are you about?" "Going to give the crumbs to the birds, ma'am," I said, humbly. "Oh, dear me, no," exclaimed the old puss, seizing upon what she considered a good opportunity for making an example of me, and giving a lesson to the other girls--for that seemed one of the aims of her life: to make lessons out of everything she said or did, till she was a perfect nuisance. "Oh, dear me, no--such waste cannot be allowed. Go and put the fragments upon one of the plates, which James or the cook will give you, and ask her to save them for your breakfast." I could have cried with vexation; but I did not, though it was very, very, very hard work to keep the tears back. "Oh, Achille! Achille!" I murmured again, "c'est pour toi!" I walked out, like a martyr, bearing the pieces, with bent-down eyes, and gave them to the cook, telling her she was to throw them to the chickens. For I would not have given Miss Furness's message if she had stood behind me.