Mrs. Gray took a seat by the window, and said nothing.
"Is it about some money?" asked Mrs. Abbott.
"Yes," said Mrs. Prim, "it is about some money. I suppose you can't believe a word against Lucy; but I must tell you what has happened.
"Yesterday morning, as I went into the garden to pick a few flowers, I overheard these three children talking together about me. They were not speaking in a very pleasant tone; but I shouldn't have minded that if one of them—and I am very sure it was Lucy—hadn't said,—
"'O, my, why don't we take some of the money Mr. Potter pays us for the berries, and keep it ourselves?'"
"Mrs. Prim!" cried Mrs. Abbott, her face turning very white.
"O mamma, I said it in fun; of course I said it in fun!" exclaimed poor little Lucy, running about the room, and crying.
"In fun," echoed Mrs. Prim. "It didn't sound very funny to me; especially when you did keep the money, and then told me you had given it to Kitty."
"We certainly gave it to Kitty," said Ninny, clasping her hands together. "We certainly did!"