It's been made into a nursery for thee. I'll help
thee on with thy clothes if tha'll get out o' bed. If
th' buttons are at th' back tha' cannot button them
up tha'self."

When Mary at last decided to get up, the clothes
Martha took from the wardrobe were not the ones
she had worn when she arrived the night before
with Mrs. Medlock.

"Those are not mine," she said. "Mine are
black."

She looked the thick white wool coat and dress
over, and added with cool approval:

"Those are nicer than mine."

"These are th' ones tha' must put on," Martha
answered. "Mr. Craven ordered Mrs. Medlock
to get 'em in London. He said 'I won't have a
child dressed in black wanderin' about like a lost
soul,' he said. 'It'd make the place sadder than
it is. Put color on her.' Mother she said she
knew what he meant. Mother always knows what
a body means. She doesn't hold with black hersel'."

"I hate black things," said Mary.

The dressing process was one which taught them
both something. Martha had "buttoned up" her
little sisters and brothers but she had never seen
a child who stood still and waited for another person

[[36]]

p035 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p036w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p037

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