that do not want them; but by that time Mr. Phillips had got to
know the necessity of the case, and it was only because he wanted the
offer to come from his wife that he had not asked me before; but she
was unreasonable, and he had to do it himself. She did not see why she
and Martha could not manage the baby; she was sure Peggy was no such
marvel; that there was no difficulty in feeding the child; that it was
cruel to put a strange woman over to give her orders, for Peggy was far
too independent for her place; and then Emily would love her nurse
better than her own mother. I know that was the way she went on to Mr.
Phillips, but on this point he was unmovable. When he asked me as a
great favour to stay, I consented for the sake of him and of Emily.

"Powell was very angry at me for stopping, and took quite a spite to
the little lassie that caused my stay. The way he spoke of that bairn
decided me. If he could not be fashed with one, how could he be fashed
with five? I was determined on one thing, that I should not have a
house of my own unless there was room in it, and a welcome in it, for
Bessie's orphans; so it was settled in my mind that day that I never
could be Mrs. Powell.

"I stopped at the Phillips's for more than eighteen months. The
mistress got used to me, and the bairn Emily was as fond of me as bairn
could be. I had more freedom from sweethearts there at first, for the
men were greatly taken up with Martha; but by the time I had been three
months there I had nigh hand as many followers, as she called them, as
she had herself. And followers she might well call them. I could not go
out with the bairn for a walk, or out to the kye, or turn my head any
way, without one or other of them being at my heels. And when Martha
got married to one of the men on the place, which happened ere long, I
seemed to have the whole station bothering me; but I would have nothing
to do with any of them. Mr. Phillips gave more credit than any of the
folk I had ever seen to my yearnings after Bessie's orphans, and my
resolutions to live single for their sake; but he never could see that
they would be such a drawback to any decent man that liked me; but I
knew there were few men so taken up with bairns as he was.

"Well, as I said, Mrs. Phillips, finding I did my work well and
quietly, gave over interfering with me, and seemed to get to like me;
but when her time was drawing near again, she was not disposed to trust
herself to my