And as they came out, followed by a bearded man, bowing very low, and carrying the wire baskets, Madam Liberality’s godmother stopped near the toy-stall to button her glove.  And when she had buttoned it (which took a long time, because her hands were stout, and Podmore generally did it with a hook), she said to Madam Liberality, “Now, child, I want to tell you that if you are very good whilst you are with me, and Podmore gives me a good report of you, I will bring you here before you go home, and buy you a present.”

Madam Liberality’s heart danced with delight.  She wished her godmother would stand by the toy-stall for an hour, that she might see what she most hoped the present would be.  But the footman tucked them into the carriage, and the bearded man bowed himself back into the bazaar, and they drove home.  Then Madam Liberality’s godmother directed the butler to dispatch the wire baskets to her ladyship, which he did by coach.  And her ladyship’s butler paid the carriage, and tipped the man who brought the parcel from the coach-office, and charged these items in his account.  And her ladyship wrote a long letter of thanks to Madam Liberality’s godmother for her kindness in saving her unnecessary expense.

The old lady did not go to the bazaar again for some time, but Madam Liberality went there with Podmore.  She looked at the toys and wondered which of them might one day be her very own.  The white china tea-service with the green rim, big enough to make real tea in, was too good to be hoped for, but there were tin tea-sets where the lids would come off, and wooden ones where they were stuck on; and there were all manner of toys that would be invaluable for all kinds of nursery games and fancies.

They helped a “fancy” of Madam Liberality even then.  She used to stand by the toy-stall, and fancy that she was as rich as her godmother, and was going to give Christmas-boxes to her brothers and sister, and her amusement was to choose, though she could not buy them.

Out of this came a deep mortification.  She had been playing at this fancy one afternoon, and having rather confused herself by changing her mind about the toys, she went through her final list in an undertone, to get it clearly into her head.  The shopman was serving a lady, and Madam Liberality thought he could not hear her as she murmured, “The china tea-set, the box of beasts, the doll’s furniture for Darling,” etc., etc.  But the shopman’s hearing was very acute, and he darted forward, crying, “The china tea-set, did you say, miss?”

The blood rushed up to poor Madam Liberality’s face till it seemed to choke her, and the lady, whom the shopman had been serving, said kindly, “I think the little girl said the box of beasts.”

Madam Liberality hoped it was a dream, but having pinched herself, she found that it was not.

Her mother had often said to her, “When you can’t think what to say, tell the truth.”  It was not a very easy rule, but Madam Liberality went by it.