e will of
the unfortunate gentleman next desired that he and his beloved wife
should be buried side by side in the same grave.

The two little innocents were now taken to the house of their uncle,
who, for some time, recollecting what their parents said so sorrowfully
upon their death-bed, behaved to them with great kindness. But when he
had kept them about a twelvemonth, he by degrees forgot to think both
how their parents looked when they gave their children to his care, and
the promises he made to be their father, mother, and uncle, all in one.

After a little more time had passed, the uncle could not help thinking
that he wished the little boy and girl would die, for he should then
have all their wealth for himself; and when he had begun to think this,
he went on till he could not think scarcely of anything else; and at
last, says he to himself, "It will not be very difficult for me to kill
them, as nobody knows anything of the matter, and then their gold is
mine."

When the barbarous uncle had once brought his mind to kill the helpless
little creatures, he was not long in finding a way to execute his cruel
purpose. He hired two sturdy ruffians, who had already killed many
travellers in a dark, thick wood, at some distance, and then robbed them
of their money. These two wicked creatures agreed, for a large reward,
to do the blackest deed that ever yet was heard of; and the uncle began
to prepare everything accordingly.

He told an artful story to his wife, of what good it would be to put the
children forward in their learning; how he had a relation in London who
would take the greatest care of them. He then said to the innocent
children, "Should you not like, my pretty ones, to see the famous town
of London, where you, William, can buy a fine wooden horse to ride upon
all day long, and a whip to make him gallop, and a fine sword to wear by
your side? And you, Jane, shall have pretty dolls and pretty
pincushions, and a nice gilded coach shall be got to take you there."

"Oh yes, I will go, uncle," said William.

"Oh yes, I will go, uncle," said Jane.

And the uncle, with a heart of stone, soon got them ready for their
journey.

The unsuspecting little creatures were a few days after put into a fine
coach, and with them the two inhuman butchers, who were soon to end
their joyful prattle, and turn their smiles to tears. One of them served
as coachman, and the other sat between little William and little Jane.