What acts of kindness do the Duchess and Mother Shipton do when Piney arrives?

Both Mother Shipton and the Duchess take a nurturing interest towards Piney.

It did her good, she privately informed the Duchess. “Just you go out there and cuss, and see.” She then set herself to the task of amusing “the child,” as she and the Duchess were pleased to call Piney. Piney was no chicken, but it was a soothing and original theory of the pair thus to account for the fact that she didn't swear and wasn't improper.