o a mother's part by that poor little maid;'
and so I did till I was over persuaded to let her go to that there
place."

"Indeed you have nothing to regret there, Mrs. Kelland; you know, that
with the kindest intentions, you could not make the child happy."

"And why was that, ma'am, but because her mother was a poor creature
from town, that had never broke her to her work. I never had the trouble
with a girl of my own I had with her. 'It's all for your good, Lovedy,'
I says to her, and poor child, maybe she wishes herself back again."

"I assure you, I always find the children well and happy, and it is very
unfair on the matron to be angry with her for being bound by rules, to
which she must submit, or she would transgress the regulations under
which we have laid her! It is not her choice to exclude you, but her
duty."

"Please, ma'am, was it her duty to be coming out of the house in a
'genta coloured silk dress, and a drab bonnet with a pink feather in
it?" said Mrs. Kelland, with a certain, air of simplicity, that provoked
Rachel to answer sharply--

"You don't know what you are talking about, Mrs. Kelland."

"Well, ma'am, it was a very decent woman as told me, an old lady of the
name of Drinkwater, as keeps a baker's shop on the other side of the
way, and she never sees bread enough go in for a cat to make use of,
let alone three poor hungry children. She says all is not right there,
ma'am."

"Oh, that must be mere gossip and spite at not having the custom. It
quite accounts for what she may say, and indeed you brought it all on
yourself by not having asked me for a note. You must restrain yourself.
What you may say to me is of no importance, but you must not go and
attack those who are doing the very best for your niece."

Rachel made a dignified exit, but before she had gone many steps, she
was assailed by tearful Mrs. Morris: "Oh, Miss Rachel, if it would not
be displeasing to you, would you give me an order for my child to come
home. Ours is a poor place, but I would rather make any shift for us to
live than that she should be sent away to some place beyond sea."

"Some place beyond sea!"

"Yes, ma'am. I beg your pardon, ma'am, but they do say that Mr.
Maw-and-liver is a kidnapper, ma'am, and that he gets them poor
children to send out to Botany Bay to be wives to the convicts as are
transported, Miss Rachel, if you'll excuse it. They say there's a whole
shipload of them at Plymouth, and I'd rather m