"She is about some mischief," William exclaimed, and ran forward to thenest. But what was his grief to look at one of the little birds dead onthe ground, two others in the nest with pieces of goat cheese sticking intheir mouths, gasping, unable to swallow or reject it, and the fourthwith its crop gorged, and sluggyly moving its little unfledged headfrom side to side, struggling in death.

Full of sympathy with the little sufferer, and indignant withFrances, he exclaimed, "Provoking girl! she has stuffed the littlecreatures as she would like to stuff herself; and I believe she haskilled them all."

The lively interest the other children had in the nest, impelledthem to hastwelve to the spot, and their lamentations, and even tears,soon flowed.