"You cannot ripen green gooseberries off the bushes," said Aunt Charlotte.
"'Deed, then, ye just can," said Fly; "ye squeeze them till they're soft, an' then ye suck them till they're sweet."
"I am sure your nurse cannot allow you to do anything so disgusting," said Aunt Charlotte.
At this moment Lull came out of the schoolroom, where she had been laying the table for breakfast.
"M'Leary!" said Aunt Charlotte—they had never heard Lull called that before—"surely you cannot allow the children to eat such poisonous stuff as unripe gooseberries?"
Lull's eyes flashed fire for a second, then she said: "You lave them to me, mem," and took Fly and Patsy off to the kitchen, where they squeezed and sucked the gooseberries in peace.
At breakfast Aunt Charlotte asked questions about everything: who their neighbours were; where they visited; where they went to church.
"You see," she said, "I have not been here before, so you must tell me everything about your surroundings now."
"Why didn't ye come afore?" said Jane eagerly. "When ye were wanted sore, what kept ye then?"
"Little girls cannot understand the motives of their elders," Aunt Charlotte said sharply. "I was far from well, and the country was disturbed."