Illness makes a great difference." "Why, that girl must have been to the back of the north wind!" thought Diamond, but he said nothing, only stared; and as he stared, something of the old Nanny began to dawn through the face of the new Nanny.

The old Nanny, though a good girl, and a friendly girl, had been rough, blunt in her speech, and dirty in her person.

Her face would always have reminded one who had already been to the back of the north wind of something he had seen in the best of company, but it had been coarse notwithstanding, partly from the weather, partly from her living amongst low people, and partly from having to defend herself: now it was so sweet, and gentle, and refined, that she might have had a lady and gentleman for a father and mother.

And Diamond could not help thinking of words which he had heard in the church the day before: "Surely it is good to be afflicted;" or something like that.

North Wind, somehow or other, must have had to do with her! She had grown from a rough girl into a gentle maiden.
Mr.Raymond, however, was not surprised, for he was used to see such lovely changes--something like the change which passes upon the crawling, many-footed creature, when it turns sick and ill, and revives a butterfly, with two wings instead of many feet.