Matty indeed merited the title of ugly. She was rather tall, but of a most ungainly figure, with long bony limbs, ill put together. It was difficult to say what the features of her face might have been: they were so crumpled, and scarred, and seamed. Not a feature had been left uninjured, except her eyes: and they were remarkable both for intelligence and softness. She put down her work and went up to Clementina, saying, "What ails you, Miss? I hope it isn't true that you feign sickness not to play with your sister?" The poor girl looked up, and her eyes were filled with tears. "Feign! I wish I did!" "Then your hip _does_ hurt you?" "To be sure it does. So badly! At night, sometimes, when I'm in bed--so, so badly." "And do you know that, Miss Ella?" "Know it! Why, who does not know it? She's always talking of it; but, for my part, I don't believe it's half so bad as she pretends." "I don't pretend, Ella; you are always saying that. How cruel you are to set Nurse against me, by always saying I pretend." Thus it went on for a minute or two, whilst Matty stood silently by, her eyes wandering from one sister to the other. At last she sighed, and said, "If it had pleased God to spare me my sister, I wouldn't have served _her_ so." Ella turned at this, and lifting up her eyes, measured Matty from head to foot with indignant contempt. It would seem as if she thought it almost too great a presumption in one so humble to have more care for a sister than she had. "Who cares how such as _you_ serve their sisters?" "There is One who cares!" said Matty. Clementina looked at Matty with puzzled wonder as she spoke. Ella haughtily turned away, saying, "I should like, for my part, to hear who this important _one_ is, that you mention with such a strange emphasis. Some mighty fine personage, no doubt." "Miss Clementina! Miss Clementina! only hear how shocking your sister talks. Do stop her!" "Stop me! I should like to see her, or any one, attempting to stop me. And why, pray--and what, pray, am I saying so mighty bad, Mrs. Matty? You? A charity girl? I heard Nurse say, but yesterday, that she wondered her mistress would put up with such rubbish, and that she loathed the very look of you, for you put her in mind of the Blue Coat." "I thank God," returned Matty, mildly, "that he raised up that great charity for me, and many perishing like me, and saved us from wickedness, and taught us to know His holy name. For He looks alike on rich and poor, and will judge both you and me, young lady." Both girls were a little awe-stricken at this speech. But Ella soon recovered herself, and said, "she hated to hear people talk like Methodists." "What _are_ you talking about, Matty?" asked Clementina, gently; "I don't quite understand." "Not understand!--why, sure--heart alive!--it can't be as you are ignorant of who made and keeps you and all of us! Sure! Sure!" Matty kept repeating in a tone of much distress, "I can't believe my own ears."