Sara never forgot her first night in the attic. She was very sad and lonely. She lay awake in the dark room. Her mind was full of pain. She whispered to herself, "My father is dead."
The bed was very hard. Sara moved many times to find a comfortable place. The wind made a loud, scary noise on the roof. Then she heard another sound. There were scratchings and squeakings in the walls.
These noises came from rats and mice. Becky had told Sara about them before. Sometimes Sara heard their feet on the floor. She sat up in bed and shook with fear. She covered her head with her blankets.
Sara’s life changed very quickly. Miss Minchin wanted her to learn her new place. Sara’s maid, Mariette, left the house the next morning. Sara’s old room was now for a new student, and Miss Minchin took away all her beautiful things.
At breakfast, Sara had a new seat. Lavinia sat in Sara's old chair next to Miss Minchin. Sara sat at a small table with the little children. Miss Minchin spoke to her in a very cold way.
"You must keep the children quiet," Miss Minchin said. "You must see that they behave well. You are late today. Lottie already spilled her tea." This was the start of Sara's new life.
Sara had many jobs now. She taught French to the younger children. She helped them with all their lessons. But these were her easiest jobs. She did many other things too.
The cook and the housemaids gave Sara many orders. They were often mean to her. They liked to tell the "special girl" what to do. They blamed her when things went wrong. Sara was often tired and hungry.
Sara went on errands in all types of weather. She walked through the rain and the cold. She was very reliable and clever. Miss Minchin used her to pay bills and clean rooms. Sara did everything she was told.
Sara did not have her own lessons anymore. She worked all day for other people. At night, she went to the empty schoolroom. She studied her old books alone. She did not want to forget what she had learned.
"I am almost a servant now," Sara thought. "But I must not forget what I have learned. I do not want to speak like a person with no education. I want to keep my mind sharp."
Sara was no longer a leader among the students. Miss Minchin did not want her to talk to the girls. She wanted Sara to live a separate life. She told the girls that Sara was a "charity student."
The other girls felt awkward around Sara. Her clothes were old and too small. Her shoes had holes in them. She carried a heavy basket of groceries through the streets. To the other girls, she looked like a servant.
Lavinia was very mean. She said Sara looked strange. She did not like the way Sara looked at people. Sara heard these words. She knew Lavinia wanted to make trouble.
Sara worked very hard every day. She felt very lonely and sad. But she never complained to anyone. "I must be brave," she said to herself. "I will pretend I am a soldier in a war."
Two people helped Sara feel less alone. The first person was Becky. During the night, Sara felt better because Becky was in the next room. They could not talk during the day. If they talked, they would get in trouble.
"Do not think I am rude, miss," Becky whispered one morning. "I cannot stop to talk politely during the day. I am afraid of getting in trouble." Becky helped Sara dress every morning before she went downstairs to light the fires.
At night, Becky knocked softly on Sara’s door. She wanted to help her friend. For the first few weeks, Sara was too sad to talk. Becky understood this. She let her friend be quiet.
The second person was Ermengarde. Ermengarde was not very clever, but she was kind. She had gone home for a few weeks when Sara's father died. When she came back, she saw Sara in the hall.
Sara was carrying a pile of clothes to mend. She looked very pale and poor. Ermengarde did not know what to say. She felt very uncomfortable. She gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, Sara, is that you?" she asked.
Sara felt angry. She thought Ermengarde was laughing at her. "Do you think it is funny?" Sara asked. Then she walked past her friend. Sara thought Ermengarde did not want to talk to a poor girl.
For many weeks, they did not speak. Ermengarde was very miserable. She sat by the window and looked sad. One day, Jessie saw her crying. Ermengarde told Jessie to leave her alone.
One night, Sara went up to her attic. She saw a light under her door. She opened the door and found Ermengarde sitting on the footstool in her nightgown. She had a red shawl around her.
"Ermengarde!" Sara cried. "You will get in trouble!" Ermengarde stood up. Her eyes were red from crying. She asked why Sara did not like her anymore.
Sara realized she had made a mistake. She told Ermengarde about Miss Minchin’s rules, and she admitted that she had thought Ermengarde wanted to stay away from her. The two girls hugged each other. They were "best friends" again.
They sat on the floor together. Ermengarde said she could not live without Sara. Sara felt happy to have her friend back. She began to use her imagination again.
"I can live here if I pretend," Sara said. "I will pretend this attic is the Bastille. I am a prisoner who has been here for many years."
Sara’s eyes became bright. "Miss Minchin is the jailer," she said. "Becky is the prisoner in the next room. This thought makes me feel better."
Ermengarde loved the story. She asked to visit Sara every night. She wanted to hear the things Sara imagined. Sara nodded. She knew Ermengarde was a true friend.