I was so knocked all of a heap that I couldn’t move, and the boot went on thump, thump, thumping overhead.  I had to go, but I was flustered to that degree that as I went up the stairs I couldn’t for the life of me think what I should say.

Aunt was sitting up in bed, and she shook her fist at me when I went in.

‘Out with it!’ she said.  ’Speak the truth.  Which of them is it?  The yallar china dish, or the big teapot, or the Wedgwood tobaccojar that belonged to your grandfather?’

And then all in a minute I knew what to say.  The words seemed to be put into my mouth, like they were into the prophets of old.

‘Lord, aunt!’ I said, ’you give me quite a turn, battering on the floor that way.  What do you want?  What is it?’

’What have you broken, you wicked, heartless girl?  Out with it, quick!’

‘Broken?’ I says.  ’Well, I hope you won’t mind much, aunt, but I have had a misfortune with the little cracked pie-dish that the potatopie was baked in; but I can easy get you another down at Wilkins.’

Aunt fell back on her pillows with a sort of groan.

‘Thank them as be!’ she said, and then she sat up again, bolt upright all in a minute.

‘You fetch me the pieces,’ she says, short and sharp.

I hope it isn’t boastful to say that I don’t think many girls would have had the sense to bring up that dish in their apron and to break it on their knee as they came up the stairs, and take it in and show it to her.

‘Don’t say another word about it,’ says my aunt, as kind and hearty as you please.

Things not being as bad as she expected, it made her quite willing to put up with things being a bit worse than they had been five minutes before.  I’ve often noticed it is this way with people.

‘You’re a good girl, Jane,’ she says, ’a very good girl, and I shan’t forget it, my dear.  Go on down, now, and make haste with your washing up, and get to work dusting the china.’

And it was such a weight off my mind to feel that she didn’t know, that I felt as if everything was all right until I got downstairs and see those three pieces of that red and yellow and green and blue basin lying on the carpet as I had left them.  My heart beat fit to knock me down, but I kept my wits about me, and I stuck it together with white of egg, and put it back in its place on the wool mat with the little teapot on top of it so that no one could have noticed that there was anything wrong with it unless they took the thing up in their hands.

The next three days I waited on aunt hand and foot, and did everything she asked, and she was as pleased as pleased, till I felt that Sarah hadn’t a chance.

On the third day I told aunt that mother would want me, it being Saturday, and she was quite willing for the Widow Gladish to come in and do for her while I was away.  I chose a Saturday because that and Sunday were the only days the china wasn’t dusted.