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.
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