"No," said Maudie, "she wasn't dirty. She was poor, but she wasn't dirty."
"You said she was once," said Hoodie.
"Well, I didn't mean dirty, really. I meant she looked so, because her clothes were so old. And any way the lady did kiss her, and then she was so kind. She had never thought of having given Lizzie the money. It was some she had put up to pay a bill with, and she had meant to put it in her other purse, and when she couldn't find it, she thought she had lost it somehow. And though she was sorry, of course it didn't matter so very much. And she said if she had known she would have written a letter to the coffee woman to tell her to spend it for warm clothes for poor Lizzie. But after all, it all turned out nice. The lady was very kind to Lizzie after that, and paid for her going to school and being taught all nice things, so that when she got a little bigger she was a very nice servant. I think it said in the story that she learnt to be a nurse, and she was a very kind nurse always."
"Like Martin?" said Duke.
"Yes," said Maudie.
"Perhaps she was even kinder than Martin," suggested Hec. "Perhaps she was awful kind."
"Nobody could be kinder than Martin, except when we're naughty," said Duke, reproachfully.
"Don't you think we should all thank Maudie for telling us such a nice story?" said Magdalen. "I thank her very much."
"So do I," said Duke.
"And me," said Hec.