"Were you here on the night of the fire?" asked Larry. Lily shook her head.
"Where were you, then?" asked Larry. "Didn't you see the fire?"
"I saw it when I came back from my evening off," said Lily. "Never you mind where I was. It's got nothing to do with you!"
"I know," said Larry, surprised at Lily's violent tone. "What I can't understand is - why didn't Mrs. Minns or her sister smell the fire when it began!"
"Here's Mrs. Mirhis's sister now," said Lily, looking up as a very fat woman, with twinkling eyes under a big hat trimmed with flowers, came up to the kitchen door. She looked in and seemed surprised to see the children.
"Hallo, Mrs. Jones," said Lily sulkily. "Mrs. Minns is upstairs changing her dress. She won't be a minute."
Mrs. Jones came in and sank into a rocking-chair, breathing heavily. "My, it's hot today," she said. "Who are all these children?"
"We live up the lane," said Pip. "We've brought a fish-head for Sweetie."
"Where are all the kittens?" said Daisy, looking at the empty basket.
"Oh!" said Lily. "I hope they haven't gone out of the kitchen and upstairs. Mrs. Minns told me to keep the door shut!"