ily, to wish that
some one would devise one for her reformation. Miss Miggs remarked, and
very justly, as an abstract sentiment which happened to occur to her
at the moment, that she dared to say the locksmith and his wife would
murmur, and repine, if they were ever, by forcible abduction, or
otherwise, to lose their child; but that we seldom knew, in this world,
what was best for us: such being our sinful and imperfect natures, that
very few arrived at that clear understanding.

Having brought their conversation to this satisfactory end, they parted:
Dennis, to pursue his design, and take another walk about his farm; Miss
Miggs, to launch, when he left her, into such a burst of mental anguish
(which she gave them to understand was occasioned by certain tender
things he had had the presumption and audacity to say), that little
Dolly's heart was quite melted. Indeed, she said and did so much to
soothe the outraged feelings of Miss Miggs, and looked so beautiful
while doing so, that if that young maid had not had ample vent for her
surpassing spite, in a knowledge of the mischief that was brewing, she
must have scratched her features, on the spot.

Chapter 71

All next day, Emma Haredale, Dolly, and Miggs, remained cooped up
together in what had now been their prison for so many days, without
seeing any person, or hearing any sound but the murmured conversation,
in an outer room, of the men who kept watch over them. There appeared to
be more of these fellows than there had been hitherto; and they could
no longer hear the voices of women, which they had before plainly
distinguished. Some new excitement, too, seemed to prevail among them;
for there was much stealthy going in and out, and a constant questioning
of those who were newly arrived. They had previously been quite reckless
in their behaviour; often making a great uproar; quarrelling among
themselves, fighting, dancing, and singing. They were now very subdued
and silent, conversing almost in whispers, and stealing in and out with
a soft and stealthy tread, very different from the boisterous trampling
in which their arrivals and departures had hitherto been announced to
the trembling captives.

Whether this change was occasioned by the presence among them of some
person of authority in their ranks, or by any other cause, they were
unable to decide. Sometimes they thought it was in part attributable to
there being a sick man in the chamber, for last night th