Chapter 4.
The Change Mr. Barrow, Miss Minchin exclaimed as she swept graciously into her office.
I am so delighted to see you again.
But when Mr. Barrow stood up to greet her, he did not look happy.
Miss Minchin, he told her, looking brave, perhaps you should sit down.
Miss Minchin went stiff.
Is something wrong? she asked.
That, Mr. Barrow said sitting down, is putting it rather mildly.
Mr Barrow then revealed what he had come to, tell her how the diamond mines had failed and about the late Captain Crewe.
"'Excuse me,' Miss Minchin gasped.
"'The late Captain Crewe.'
"'He's dead, ma'am,' Mr. Barrow confirmed.
"'He died of jungle fever and bad business.
"'But that's not the half of it.
"'There's more,' Miss Minchin asked.'
Captain Crewe died without a cent, quite out of his mind, raving about his little girl.
Miss Minchin could hardly breathe, not from pity, mind you, but out of anger.
She felt that, somehow, she had been cheated out of what was rightfully hers.
Cheated by the late Captain Crewe, by Barrow and Skipworth, and even by Sarah.
She spoke slowly.
Are you telling me that he left the child nothing?
That he left me nothing?
That Sarah is in there right now having a grand party at my expense, for which I shall never see one penny.
Yes, I'm afraid the child is a beggar.
Mr. Barrow did not mince words.
But before you think of turning her out into the street, think about how that would look for your school.
And by the way, he added dryly, Barrow and Skipworth is not responsible for her.
You are.
Miss Minchin could not believe her ears, but her mind was indeed working at top speed.
She was nothing if not a shrewd businesswoman and knew just what Mr. Barrow meant.
After a long silence, she spoke.
Yes, better to keep her, she agreed, and to make use of her.
Her eyes narrowed shrewdly. can assure you, sir, that I will make good use of her.
Their conversation was cut short by the sound of singing.
It was the students, Miss Minchin thought foggily.
They had started without her.
She ran back down the hall.
Stop your singing, this minute, she screamed with fury.
She threw open the door and rushed into the room.
Everybody quiet.
The startled girl stopped in mid-chorus.
Sarah Crew, Miss Minchin ordered.
Come here this instant.
The crowd parted and Sarah walked quietly to the front of the room.
Yes, Miss Minchin, she replied.
Do you have a black frock in your grand princess wardrobe?
Miss Minchin asked in a mocking tone.
Why, I'm sure that Sarah has a frock in every color, Lavinia said under her breath.
A black frock, Miss Amelia repeated.
Sister, what are you talking about?
I have an old black velvet dress, Sarah said timidly, but I have outgrown it.
It's too short.
That is too bad, Miss Minchin said.
Go take off that ridiculous pink thing and put the black one on.
You are done with finery.
In shock, the other girls became speechless.
Sister, what has happened?
Miss Amelia cried.
Miss Mention did not mince words.
Captain Crewe is dead, she said.
He died penniless, leaving this spoiled little princess on my hands.
The girls let out a gasp.
Miss Amelia fell heavily into the nearest chair.
Becky, still standing at the party's edge, started to cry, but Sarah was another story.
She actually made no fuss at all.
Although her eyes got quite big and she turned pale.
She stood very still and looked at Miss Minchin without saying a word, before turning and walking silently out of the room.
Looking around at what was left of the lavish party, Miss Minchin was enraged.
Girls, she ordered, put down your cake and go back to your rooms right now.
She turned to face Becky, whose face was streaming with tears.
And you, she said, stop your wailing and clean up this mess.
This party is over.
Upstairs, a trembling Mariette was helping Sarah to change into the old black dress Miss Minchin had ordered her to put on.
Mariette had also grown very fond of Sarah and feared it would be the last thing she was allowed to do for the girl.
Sarah hardly seemed to notice Mariette.
My papa is dead, she kept saying quietly to herself alone.
My papa is dead.
Emily, too, had been draped in a piece of black cloth.
Mariette had thought it fitting.
Oh, Emily, Sarah cried.
Do you hear?
Papa is dead.
He died in India, thousands of miles away.
Emily seemed to break the rules for a second and to come to life, only to stare sadly at Sarah from her nearby chair.
But then the second passed and once again Emily seemed like nothing more than a piece of porcelain with cloth and sawdust legs.
My papa is dead.
Sarah screamed, shaking her doll.
But Emily just flopped around limply in Sarah's hands.
A heartbroken rage seized Sarah like never before.
She burst into tears and threw Emily to the ground, half hoping she would break.
My papa is dead and you're nothing but a doll, she cried.
A doll, a doll, a doll.
Emily lay on the floor with her legs twisted strangely over her head and a newly flattened tip at the end of her nose.
Still, she seemed calm, even dignified.
Regret overtook Sarah, and she rushed over to pick Emily up.
The doll seemed to come to life again, in part, looking up at Sarah with glassy-eyed sympathy.
I'm sorry, Sarah said with a weary sigh.
I'm sure you are doing your sawdust best.
Then one of the girls knocked on Sarah's door with a message.
Miss Mention had called Sarah back downstairs.
Sarah was still holding on to Emily when she entered Miss Minchin's office.
"'What do you mean, bringing your doll in here?'
Miss Minchin demanded.
"'Put her down!'
"'No,' Sarah answered.
"'She is all that I have.
My papa gave her to me as a companion.'
Miss Minchin wanted to grab the doll from Sarah, but she couldn't.
Sarah had always made her feel secretly ill at ease, and with Sarah's steady gaze she was doing so even now.
Truth be told, Miss Minchin was a little afraid of Sarah then, because she knew in her heart what an unkind thing she was about to do.
You will have no time for dolls anymore, she said coldly.
Your life, as you have known it, is over.
You are all alone in the world.
For a moment, Sarah's thin, pale little face twitched, but still.
She said nothing.
She did not cry or seem at all frightened.
Her bravery was too much for Miss Minchin to bear.
"'What are you staring at?' she asked sharply.
Why do you not speak?
Don't you understand what I'm telling you?
You, with all of your grand airs, are now a beggar.
You will work here to earn your keep and to pay me back for everything you owe me.
I understand, Sarah replied in a low tone.
Now may I please be excused?
She turned slowly to leave the room.
Miss Minchin said.
Aren't you going to thank me?
Sarah paused, surprised, and looked at Miss Minchin oddly.
What for? she asked.
Well, for my kindness to you, of course, Miss Minchin replied.
For allowing you to stay here, for giving you a home.
A fierce feeling of pride suddenly surged up in Sarah.
You are not kind, she said, and this will never be my home.
Clutching Emily tightly, she turned and ran out of Miss Minchin's office and back up to her room.
When she reached her door, however, she found Miss Amelia blocking it.
I'm sorry, but this is not your room anymore.
Miss Amelia blushed from shame at having to carry out her sister's orders.
You are to sleep in the attic, in the room next to Becky's.
Sarah could see this was the beginning of the change Miss Minchin had foretold.
Sarah knew where the attic was.
Becky had spoken to her about it many times, and so she turned and walked up the extra two flights of stairs.
As she did so, she felt as though she were leaving behind everything she had ever known or been.
When she got to the top of the stairs, she felt like a completely different creature.
Her new room had a slanted ceiling.
The walls were covered in peeling paint.
There was a hard bed covered with a thin and faded quilt, a tiny rusty fireplace and just a few other pieces of faded and worn-out furniture.
Under the window, with its broken glass, there stood a red footstool with a broken leg.
Sarah went over to it and sat down.
She put her face down, hugged herself, and just rocked.
Still, she did not cry.
A low tap came at the door, followed by a face peeping timidly around the corner.
It was Becky's face, which, in addition to being smudgy, was now also quite red from crying.
Oh, miss, she said, might I come in?
Is there anything I can do for you?
Please, will you still let me wait on you?
Sarah looked up.
She had intended to smile, but when she saw the love and sadness in Becky's face, something broke inside of her.
Finally, the tears came.
"'Oh, Becky,' she sobbed.
"'Thank you, but no.
There's nothing anyone can do.
You will never wait on me again, you see.'
I was right.
Both of us are only two little girls, just alike.
I'm not a princess anymore.
Becky ran over and kneeled beside Sarah to hug her.
Yes, miss, you are, she cried.
Whatever happens, you'll always be a princess.
Nothing could make you any different.
