Had she been so minded to punish you, she would have done so fearlessly.

You may be thankful it was no worse." Frederick sullenly picked up his hat, which he had laid aside while painting the door, and which had thus escaped injury, pulled it as far over his face as it would go, and turned abruptly away from Reuben.
"I'll be revenged on the old hag yet!" he muttered between his teeth.

"I've got a double debt to pay to this house now.

I'll not forget it either." He turned abruptly away and scuttled home by the narrowest alleys he could find, whilst Reuben went about looking for the red crosses, and giving timely notice to the master of the house, that they might be erased, as quietly and quickly as possible.
Accident had led Reuben early abroad that day, but he made use of his time to undo as far as he was able the mischievous jesting of Frederick's band of Scourers..