O dear! my beautiful carpet! And for a lord to see me in such a plight! Oh! it's abominable! I'll give it to you, you scamp! You did it on purpose," continued the indignant Mrs.Thomas.

"Don't deny it--I know you did.

What are you standing there for?
Why don't you call Mrs.Morton ?" she concluded, as Charlie, chuckling over the result of his trick, walked leisurely upstairs.

"That boy will be the death of me," she afterwards said, on relating the occurrence to her daughter.

"Just to think, after all the trouble I've had teaching him when to admit people and when not, that he should serve me such a trick.