I stopped her, and asked what was the matter, and finally made out that she had been to some sale at a farmhouse near, where a certain large blanket had "gone for" five shillings.

That she had scraped five shillings together, and had intended to bid for it, but had (with eminent stupidity) managed just to be out of the way when the blanket was sold; and that it had gone for the very sum she could have afforded, to another woman who would only part with it for six and sixpence--eighteenpence more than the price she had paid for it.
The poor woman wept, and said she had had hard work to "raise" the five shillings, and could not possibly find one and sixpence more.

And yet she did want the blanket badly, for she had a boy sick in bed, and his throat was so bad--he suffered a deal from the cold, and there wasn't a decent "rag of a blanket" in her house.

I did not quite follow her long story, but I gathered that one and sixpence would put an end to her troubles, and at once offered to fetch her the money.
"Where do you live ?" I asked.
"The white cottage just beyond the gate, love," she answered.
"I will bring you the money," said I.For to say the truth, I was rather pompous and important about my charitable deeds, and did not dislike playing the part of Sir Bountiful in the cottages.

In this case, too, it was a kindness not to take the woman back to the hall, for she had left the sick child alone; and when I arrived at the cottage with the money he complained bitterly at the idea of her leaving him again to get the blanket.
"Let me go a minute, love, and I'll fetch Mrs.Taylor to sit with thee till I get the blanket." "I don't want a blanket," fretted the child; "I be too hot as 'tis.