the next morning it rained.

"O mother," said Nan, "it is raining, and what will the poor people
do?"

Dame Clementina would never have seen her way out of this difficulty,
had not Dame Golding cried out that her bonnet was getting wet, and
she wanted an umbrella.

"Why you must go around to their houses of course, and get their
umbrellas for them," said Dame Clementina, "but first, give ours to
that old man on horseback." She did not know her father, so many years
had passed since she had seen him, and he had altered so.

So Nan carried out their great yellow umbrella to the count, and went
around to the others' houses for their own umbrellas. It was pitiful
enough to see them standing all alone behind the doors. She could not
find three extra ones for the three robbers, and she felt badly about
that.

Somebody suggested, however, that milk pans turned over their heads
would keep the rain off their slouched hats, at least; so she got a
silver milk-pan for an umbrella for each. They made such frantic
efforts to get away then, that they looked like jumping-jacks; but it
was of no use.

Poor Dame Clementina and Nan after they had given more milk porridge
to the people, and done all they could for their comfort, stood
staring disconsolately out of the window at them under their dripping
umbrellas. The yard was fairly green and black and blue and yellow