Just  about  dusk  the  weather  slightly  cleared  up,  and
she  picked  her  way  through  the  melting  snow  to  the
shop.  Her  purchases  were  most  satisfactory.  How  the
boys  would  enjoy  them  !  Madam  Liberality  enjoyed
them  already,  though  her  face  was  still  sore,  and  the
pain  had  spread  to  her  throat,  and  though  her  ideas
seemed  unusually  brilliant,  and  her  body  pleasantly
languid,  which — added  to  a  peculiar  chill  trembling  of
the  knees — generally  forewarned  her  of  a  coming  quinsy.
But  warnings  were  thrown  away  upon  Madam  Liber-
ality's obdurate  hopefulness.
Just  now  she  could  think  of  nothing  but  the  coming
Christmas-tree.  She  hid  the  sweetmeats,  and  put  her
hand  into  her  pocket  for  the  two  shillings,  the  exact  out-
lay of  which,  in  the  neighbouring  town,  by  means  of  the
carrier,  she  had  already  arranged.  But — the  two  shil-
lings were  gone  !  How  she  had  lost  them  Madam
Liberality  had  no  idea.
She  trudged  through  the  dirty  snow  once  more  to  the
shop,  and  the  counter  was  examined,  and  old  Goody
looked  under  the  flour  scales  and  in  the  big  chinks  of
the  stone  floor.  But  the  shillings  were  not  there,  and
Madam  Liberality  kept  her  eyes  on  the  pavement  as  she
ran  home,  with  as  little  result.  Moreover  it  was  nearly
dark.
It  snowed  heavily  all  night,  and  Madam  Liberality
slept  very  little  from  pain  and  anxiety  ;  but  this  did  not
deter  her  from  going  out  with  the  first  daylight  in  the
morning  to  rake  among  the  snow  near  the  door,  although
her  throat  was  sore  beyond  concealment,  her  jaws  stiff,
and  the  pleasant  languor  and  quick-wittedness  had  given
way  to  restless  fever.
