"I didn't know it was torn," said Ella, looking down. "Where, aunt Prudence? I don't see it."
"There! what do you call that?" said Miss Prudence, fiercely, taking hold of the skirt of Ella's dress, and showing a small slit torn in one of the breadths.
"Oh, that is only a little hole, aunt Prudence," said Ella.
"A little hole? Yes, but I'd like to know if you aren't always tearing your clothes, and if you'd torn it all the way round, it would have been all the same to you."
Ella's temper was rising, more from the tone than the words her aunt had used, "I ain't always tearing my clothes," said she, angrily, "you know I haven't torn one for a good while, and it's ever so long since I climbed a fence till to-day."
"How dare you contradict me, you impertinent little hussy!" said aunt Prudence, catching hold of her and shaking her violently, and boxing her ears, then pushing her from her with such violence as to throw her down.
"You're just the crossest woman in the world," exclaimed Ella,—now thoroughly roused as soon as she recovered her breath sufficiently to speak, "I don't care if I do tear my clothes! I don't care if I tear them all to pieces, and I shan't try to please you any more, for you're just as cross as you can be; you're always scolding me, and never praise me a bit when I try just as hard as I can to please you."
"Just walk right up stairs, and don't let me hear another word out of your mouth, or see your face again to-day," said aunt Prudence; "if I served you right I'd give you a good switching, and may be I'll do it yet; but just walk straight up stairs, and stay there; for not a mouthful of supper shall you have to-night."
"I won't!" said Ella, "I ain't going to be shut up in that hot room all the afternoon. I'll stay out of doors," and she ran out as she spoke.
"We'll soon see that," said aunt Prudence, "we'll soon see who's mistress," catching her by the arm and dragging her into the house. Ella resisted with all the strength of passion; but in vain; her aunt proved the stronger, and after a desperate battle succeeded in forcing her up stairs and into her own room, where she shut her in, and locked the door upon her, and then, putting the key in her pocket, walked down stairs; while Ella, mad with rage, assailed the door with a shower of kicks and blows, in the vain attempt to regain her liberty, at the same time screaming at the top of her voice.