At that moment Lucy came out of the house. She came down the passage, and as Mattie was still leaning over the door, or the threshold, rather, of the workshop, she saw her, and stopped. Thereupon Poppie came out of her "coign of vantage," and slowly approached, just like a bird or a tame rabbit—only she was not by any means so tame as the latter.
"Are you getting on with that petticoat, Mattie?" said Lucy.
"Yes, miss, I am. Only not being used to anything but boys' clothes, I am afraid you won't like the tailor's stitch, miss."
"Never mind that. It will be a curiosity, that's all. But what do you think, Mattie? The kind lady who gives us this work to do for the poor people, has invited all of us to go and spend a day with her."
Mattie did not answer. Lucy thought she did not care to go. But she was such an oddity that she wanted very much to take her.
"She has such a beautiful garden, Mattie! And she's so kind."
Still Mattie made no reply. Lucy would try again.
"And it's such a beautiful house, too, Mattie! I'm sure you would like to see it. And," she added, almost reduced to her last resource, "she would give us such a nice dinner, I know!"
This at length burst the silence, but not as Lucy had expected.