Do they all live like this,with no furniture?'
Miss Honey's face went red and she looked down at the floor.
'No,'she said quietly. Then she looked at Matilda. Until now, it's been difficult for me to talk about my prpblems, but suddenly I want to tell somebody. I know that you're only a little girl. Matilda ,but ... Can I tell you a story ?'
' yes , of course, said Matilda.
I'm twenty - three years old , said miss Honey. When I was born. My father was a doctor in this village and we live in a beautiful old house. They my mother died when I was two and my aunt came to live with us. My father was a busy doctor and he needed somebody to look after me. But my aunt was not a kid person. Then , when I was five, my father died suddenly. '
' how did he died ?' Asked Matilda.
' that's an interesting question ; said Miss Honey. 'I was too young to ask question at the time, but later I learned that there was a lot of mystery about his death. He was a very calm and sensible man, and nobody really believed that he did it. '
' what did he do?' Asked Matilda.
' killed himself ; said Miss honey. Or it looked like that. So I had to live with my aunt. And my father's house was suddenly hers! How? I don't really know .'
' what happened then ?' Asked Matilda. Was your aunt nicer to you?'
' she was worse than before!' Said Miss Honey. ' it was terrible. I was very frightened of her.'
' Did you go to school ?' Asked Matilda.
'Yes ; said Miss Honey. 'I went to the same school that you're going to now.