This made the cook still more angry, and she scolded in a way quite terrible to hear, while the children stood looking at her, too much astonished and frightened to answer. But Flossy never heard any great noise without trying to add his share, and he now began to bark at cook with all his might.
"There now," said Patrick, "don't ye make such a fuss, Bridget, and I'll just wash yer colander as clane as a new pin. They're not used to sich talk, isn't the little ladies; for it's dacent people we are all, Mrs. Bradford's help, and not a hard word among us at all, at all. Come now, be civil; and do you run to your play, honeys; it is no harrum ye have done."
But the cook would not be pacified, and scolded louder and louder, while the more she scolded, the louder Flossy barked.
"Cook," said Bessie, "you are a very naughty woman, and I don't think we'll keep you."
"Woof, woof," said Flossy.
"Be off with you," said cook. "You'll fly at me, will you?"
"Woof, woof," said Flossy.
The woman snatched up Patrick's knife-brick, and with a very bad word to the children, was about to throw it at the puppy, when Patrick caught her arm; and the frightened little ones, catching up their dog, scampered off as fast as their feet could carry them.
Up the back steps and through piazza and hall, till they reached the front stairs, where they sat down quite out of breath. For a moment or two neither of them said a word, but sat looking at each other, as if they did not know what to make of all this; while Flossy, thinking he had made noise enough for this time, curled himself up in Maggie's lap for a nap.
At last, Maggie gave a long sigh. "Oh, dear," she said, "what a dreadful woman!"