A Little Princess Chapter 18 Summary

I Tried Not to Be

  • Mrs. Carmichael explains everything, since, you know, men can't explain anything, right????
  • (J/K. But they really do bring her in to explain, even though she's never appeared in the story before.)
  • Sara asks if Mr. Carrisford was her father's wicked friend.
  • Well, kind of, only he's not actually wicked. He only thought he had lost her father's money and that he was so sad about her father that he too almost died.
  • They also tell her that Ram Dass made all those magical things happen in her attic room.
  • Sara and Mr. Carrisford spend some getting-to-know-you time together.
  • They decide that Sara won't be returning to the seminary (obviously), but before they can tell Miss Minchin she goes over to the house looking for Sara herself.
  • When Miss Minchin arrives, Carrisford informs her that Sara won't be returning.
  • Remember the diamond mines? Yeah, they're real. And Sara has a fortune now.
  • Miss Minchin backpedals faster than Lance Armstrong's supporters, saying that Sara would have starved if it wasn't for her.
  • She tries to appeal to Sara and says that she's always been fond of her, but Sara sees through that trick right quick.
  • Second tactic: Miss Minchin says that Sara will never see her friends again, but Mr. Carmichael steps forward in a totally lawyer-ly way and begs to differ.
  • Finally, Miss Minchin heads home to complain to Miss Amelia, who is oddly unsympathetic and pretty much tells Miss Minchin that she had it coming all along.
  • Ermengarde receives a letter from Sara that explains about the diamond mines and how she's now living with Mr. Carrisford.
  • Becky is very happy for Sara, is sad that she's gone. But when she comes up to her room, Ram Dass is waiting for her and says that she's going to be Sara's servant from now on! Woohoo!!
  • Well, at least it's a step up.