for her. Still, as God has sent her to us, if no one claims her
we must bring her up as our own child, and do our best to make her
happy, and she will be a light and joy in the house."

"That I'm sure she will," interrupted Jacob; "and Ben and Sam and I will
all work for her, and keep her from harm, just as much as if mother had
had a little maid, that we will."

"Yes, yes, Jacob, I am sure of it," exclaimed the dame, smiling her
approval as she glanced affectionately at her son.

So the matter was settled, and the little girl was to be henceforth
looked on as the daughter of the house.

"Of course, dame, I must do what I can, though, to find out whether the
little maid has any friends in this country," observed Adam, after
keeping silence for some minutes, as if he had been considering over the
subject; "she may or she may not, but when I come to think of the poor
dark woman who was on board, and who I take to have been her nurse, she
must have come from foreign parts. Still, as she speaks English, even
if her fair hair and blue eyes did not show that, it is clear that she
has English parents, and if they were not on board, and I am very sure
they were not, she must have been coming to some person in England, who
will doubtless be on the look-out for her. So you must not set your
heart on keeping the little maiden, for as her friends are sure to be
rich gentlefolks she would be better off with them than with us."

"As to that Adam, I have been thinking as you have; but then you see
it's not wealth that gives happiness, and if we bring her up and she
knows no other sort of life, maybe she will be as happy with us as if
she were to be a fine lady," answered the dame looking affectionately at
the sleeping child.

"But right is right," observed Adam; "we would not let her go to be
worse off than she would be with us, that's certain; but we must do our
duty by her, and leave the rest in God's hands."

Just then the child opened her large blue eyes, and after looking about
with a startled expression, asked, "Where ayah?" and then spoke some
words in a strange-sounding language, which neither the fisherman nor
his wife could understand.

"She you ask for, my sweet one, is not here," said the dame, bending
over her; "but I will do instead of her, and you just think you are at
home now with those who love you, and you shall not want for anything."

While the dame was speaking the two elder lads came downstairs, and