ught that she "liked lending her things," and that it was her
way of enjoying possessions, they may have been right; for next to
one's own soul, one's own family is perhaps the best judge of one's
temper and disposition.

And they called her Madam Liberality, so Madam Liberality she shall
remain.

It has been hinted that there was a reason for the scarceness of the
plums in the plum-cake. Madam Liberality's father was dead, and her
mother was very poor, and had several children. It was not an easy
matter with her to find bread for the family, putting currants and
raisins out of the question.

Though poor, they were, however, gentle-folk, and had, for that
matter, rich relations. Very rich relations indeed! Madam Liberality's
mother's first cousin had fifteen thousand a year. His servants did
not spend ten thousand. (As to what he spent himself, it was
comparatively trifling.) The rest of the money accumulated. Not that
it was being got together to do something with by and by. He had no
intention of ever spending more than he spent at present. Indeed, with
a lump of coal taken off here, and a needless candle blown out there,
he rather hoped in future to spend less.

His wife was Madam Liberality's godmother. She was a good-hearted
woman, and took real pleasure in being kind to people, in the way she
thought best for them. Sometimes it was a graceful and appropriate
way, and very often it was not. The most acceptable act of kindness
she ever did to her god-daughter was when the child was recovering
from an illness, and she asked her to visit her at the seaside.

Madam Liberality had never seen the sea, and the thought of it proved
a better stimulus than the port wine which her doctor ordered so
easily, and her mother got with such difficulty.

When new clothes were bought, or old ones refurbished, Madam
Liberality, as a rule, went to the wall. Not because her mother was
ever guilty of favouritism, but because such occasions afforded an
opportunity of displaying generosity towards her younger sister.

But this time it was otherwise; for whatever could be spared towards
"summer things" for the two little girls was spent upon Madam
Liberality's outfit for the seaside. There was a new dress, and a
jacket "as good as new," for it was cut out of "mother's" cloth cloak
and made up, with the best binding and buttons in the shop, by the
village tailor. And he was bribed, in a secret visit, and with much
coaxing from the l