Annie shook her head. ‘It’s all wrong. It’s as if they’re being punished for being alive – for all sorts of things they can’t help.’

‘Well, they can’t rely on you for ever,’ Aunt Hatt pointed out. ‘However kind you are to them.’

‘We must pray for them, Annie,’ Margaret said, because she could not think of anything else to offer.

She heard her aunt make a small ‘huh!’ sound, but she sat back and did not argue.

‘Auntie?’ Now seemed a good opportunity to ask. ‘Can you explain to me – I don’t understand why everyone thinks that German gentleman’s name is so funny. Mr von Titz?’

Aunt Hatt’s head shot round, startled. She found three sets of eyes watching her – not only Margaret’s and Annie’s but Daisy’s as well – all waiting for an explanation.

‘Well,’ she said, apparently thrown into confusion. Margaret realized that the added pink in her cheeks was not just from the fire. She looked away and then turned back to them, and Margaret was even more confused when she saw that her aunt was trying not to laugh. ‘You girls really are innocents, aren’t you? D’you really not know?’

Margaret and Annie exchanged baffled glances. ‘No,’ Margaret said.

‘All right,’ Aunt Hatt said. ‘I suppose it won’t hurt this one to hear it as well.’ She nodded at Daisy. ‘His name is another word for – you know . . .’ She ran her hands descriptively down the top half of her body.

‘Bosoms?’ Annie said.

‘You got it,’ Aunt Hatt said, laughing. Daisy started laughing as well.

‘Von Titz,’ Margaret said, a blush rising in her cheeks. ‘Oh, dear – I see what you mean now.’

It was growing dark outside and soon Aunt Hatt said to Daisy, ‘You’d better get off home now – your pa’ll be missing you.’

Daisy got up obediently. She could easily have run back next door on her own, but she held out her hand to Margaret.

‘Come and see my things?’ she said. ‘The things I’ve made.’

Margaret was touched at this girl, who seemed so self-contained and grown up, suddenly asking like a child. The two of them went out into the smoky dark.

In the hall of number twenty-four there was a smell of meat cooking and the only crack of light came from the middle room, the door ajar. Daisy trotted along and pushed it open. Suddenly Margaret felt nervous.

‘Hello.’ She heard a deep, fond voice from within. ‘Have you been next door all this time? I should think you’ve worn out your welcome.’

‘No!’ Daisy sounded happy. ‘And Miss Hanson has come with me – I said I’d show her my things.’

Too young to think about introducing her guest, she disappeared excitedly into the room, presumably to look for her ‘things’. Margaret thought she had better show herself.