When Sara returned from her errands, she saw Miss Minchin.
The headmistress had just come downstairs to scold the cook.
"Where have you been, Sara?" Miss Minchin demanded.
"You've been out for hours!"
"I've been doing errands for the cook," Sara answered.
"It was hard to walk quickly because the streets are so wet and muddy."
"Don't make excuses and don't tell lies!" Miss Minchin shouted at Sara.
Then she went back upstairs.
Sara went to see the cook, who was in a bad mood because of Miss Minchin's scolding.
"You're so late!" The cook was happy to have someone to shout at.
Sara laid her bundles on the table. "Here are your things.
May I have something to eat?" she asked softly.
"Supper is finished!" the cook snapped. "There's some bread in the pantry.
That's all you'll get this time of day."
Sara found the bread. It was old and hard and dry, but she ate it anyway.
Then she climbed slowly upstairs to her room.
She was glad to see a glimmer of light under her door.
That meant Ermengarde had come to visit. She pushed open the door.
Ermengarde sat in the middle of the bed, with her feet tucked under her.
She had her red shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
"I didn't expect to see you tonight, Ermengarde," Sara said.
"Miss Amelia has gone out to visit an old aunt," Ermengarde explained.
"No one else ever comes and looks into the bedrooms after we're in bed.
I could stay here until morning if I wanted to."
Ermengarde pointed to the table under the skylight.
"Oh, Sara!" said Ermengarde in despair.
"Look what my father sent me. More books!"
Sara's mood brightened instantly. "Oh, these are beautiful books!
I've always wanted to read this one about the French Revolution."
"Well, I don't want to read it. I know he'll test me on all of these books.
But I still don't want to read any of them."
"Do you know what we could do?" Sara said eagerly. Her cheeks were flushed.
"I could read the books, and then I could describe them to you.
It would be like telling you stories!"
"That's a wonderful idea!" said Ermengarde.
"I've been doing better since you helped me with my French lessons."
"I've been helping Lottie with her math too," Sara said.
"Miss Minchin has no idea why we're suddenly so smart!" Ermengarde said.
The two girls laughed.
Sara suddenly started and looked up at the skylight.
"Did you hear something?" she asked.
"No," said Ermengarde.
"It sounded like somebody was dragging something across the roof," Sara said. "Maybe it was—"
This time they both heard the same sound.
But it wasn't coming from the roof.
It was Miss Minchin's voice, and she sounded angry.
Sara quickly put out the candle.
"Miss Minchin is scolding Becky," whispered Sara. "She's making Becky cry."
"Will Miss Minchin come in here?" Ermengarde was in a panic.
"No, she'll think I'm asleep. Stay still!" Sara whispered.
It was very rare for Miss Minchin to come up the stairs to the attic.
Sara could only think of one other time that she'd done so.
But now she was angry enough to be coming at least part of the way up.
"You rude, lying child!" Miss Minchin shouted at Becky.
"The cook tells me things are constantly being stolen from the kitchen."
"It isn't me!" Becky began to sob.
"I'm hungry all the time, but I don't steal food!"
Miss Minchin sounded out of breath.
"You should go to prison for stealing that piece of meat pie!"
She slapped Becky. "Go to bed!"
"It wasn't me!" Becky insisted.
And again Sara and Ermengarde heard the sound of a slap.
Miss Minchin stomped down the stairs.
Sara and Ermengarde heard Becky crying in the next room.
"I didn't take it!" Becky sobbed.
"The cook gave it to her boyfriend, the policeman!"
"This makes me so angry!" Sara said.
She stood in the center of the dark room, clenching her fists furiously.
"The cook is wicked and cruel. She's the one who's stealing, not Becky!"
Sara lit her candle again.
"Poor Becky is always hungry. Sometimes she eats crusts out of the trash!"
To Ermengarde's surprise Sara burst into tears.
"Oh, Sara." Ermengarde looked at Sara.
For the first time, she noticed how thin her friend was.
"I hate to ask this, but are you ever hungry?"
"Yes!" Sara burst out. "I'm hungry all the time.
I'm so hungry right now that I could almost eat you!
And Becky is even hungrier than I am."
"Oh, I had no idea!" said Ermengarde. "But I know just what to do."