For the first time in her life Sara is cold and hungry and dirty, because before she'd always been wearing mink coats and eating whenever she wanted and had never been the kind to play in the mud with other children.

She is nothing, to everyone - the servant girl kept here out of charity, not even pity.

But she is not alone. Because she still has Emily and Becky and the rest of the girls in the school who come up to visit her in the attic sometimes, when they can be sure that Miss Minchin won't catch them.

She is not miserable.