Sara 15
"What child am I?" asked Sara.
"I was your father's friend," said Mr Carrisford. Don't be frightened. We have been looking for you for two years."
"And I was at Miss Minchin's all the while, said Sara, "Just on the other side of the wall."
"Your father and I thought that there were no diamonds in the mine and that we had lost all our money. We both became very ill. I was taken to hospital and recovered but your father died. I was told that
diamonds had been found at last and that your father and I were rich. Your father's money now belongs to you."
Miss Minchin had been so surprised that up to now she could not think of anything to say. At last she said, "Perhaps this changes things. We will go home now Sara. I take it that you, Mr Carrisford,
will be willing to pay Sara's school fees?"
Constable Bill Carrisford spoke for the first time, " I am a policeman," he said. As I walk around the streets I talk to people and learn what is going on. I know that you treated Sara very badly. The money belongs to her but I don't think she will want to come back to your school?"
"Captain Crewe left her in my charge," Miss Minchin argued. "She must return to school. She can be a parlour boarder again. She must finish her education. That is the law."
"As I said, " began Bill Carrisford, "I am a policeman and I can tell you that the law will not help you." He turned to his brother and said, "I would advise you to go to court and ask to become Sara's
guardian. I am sure they will agree."
"Then," said Miss Minchin, "I appeal to Sara. I know I have been strict with you but that was for your own good. Your father was pleased with your progress. And I have always been fond of you."
"Were you really fond of me , Miss Minchin?" she said. "I did not know that."
Miss Minchin's face turned very red. "You ought to have known it," said she; "but children, unfortunately, never know what is best for them. Amelia and I always said you were the cleverest child in the school. Will you not do your duty to your poor father and come home with me?"
Sara started thinking of the day when Miss Minchin told her that she belonged to nobody and threatened to send her out to beg in the street. She looked Miss Minchin steadily in the face. "You know why I will not go home with you, Miss Minchin;" she said, "You know quite well."
Miss Minchin looked very angry and said," You will never see your companions again; I will see that Emily and Lottie are kept away"
"Excuse me, said Mr Carrisford, "she will see anyone she wishes to see. The parents of Miss Crewe's friends are not likely to refuse her invitations to visit her at my house when I am her guardian."
Miss Minchin knew that Sara was now rich and if she asked her friends to visit her, their parents would not refuse. She also knew that if Mr Carrisford told people how she had treated Sara, few parents would want to send their children to her school.
Miss Minchin knew that the only thing she could do was to leave and go home but before she did she had one more nasty thing to say, "You are making a big mistake. You will find that Sara is a liar and
she will not be grateful for what you try to do for her."
Bill Carrisford stood up. He was six feet tall and looked at her in a way that only a policeman can. "I think you had better leave now."he said.
Miss Minchin left.
There was one more surprise for Sara. At about 4,0 clock there was a knock on the door and Mr Carrisford's son came in from school.
Sara recognised him. It was Donald, the boy who had given her sixpence. As she talked to him they found that they liked each other very much.
Then Donald said," If I'd just asked what your name was when I gave you my sixpence you would have told me it was Sara Crewe, and then you would have been found in a minute
."Well of course you could not have known that,"said Sara but I think that that sixpence did have something to do with me being found."
As time went on Donald and Sara got on well and treated each other as brother and sister. Mr and Mrs Carrisford needed someone to help in the house and Becky left Miss Minchin's school
and came to work for them. She was treated very well and became like a member of the family.
