t's
humour] when I was riding home: a little nameless creature, whom I wish
to take care of till she is old enough to take care of herself; and to
educate in a plain way. She is only fifteen months old, and is at
present in the hands of a kind villager's wife in my parish. Will you
object to give some attention to the little thing in her helplessness?'

It need hardly be said that our innocent young lady, loving him so deeply
and joyfully as she did, replied that she would do all she could for the
nameless child; and, shortly afterwards, the pair were married in the
same cathedral that had echoed the whispers of his declaration, the
officiating minister being the Bishop himself; a venerable and
experienced man, so well accomplished in uniting people who had a mind
for that sort of experiment, that the couple, with some sense of
surprise, found themselves one while they were still vaguely gazing at
each other as two independent beings.

After this operation they went home to Deansleigh Park, and made a
beginning of living happily ever after. Lady Mottisfont, true to her
promise, was always running down to the village during the following
weeks to see the baby whom her husband had so mysteriously lighted on
during his ride home--concerning which interesting discovery she had her
own opinion; but being so extremely amiable and affectionate that she
could have loved stocks and stones if there had been no living creatures
to love, she uttered none of her thoughts. The little thing, who had
been christened Dorothy, took to Lady Mottisfont as if the baronet's
young wife had been her mother; and at length Philippa grew so fond of
the child that she ventured to ask her husband if she might have Dorothy
in her own home, and bring her up carefully, just as if she were her own.
To this he answered that, though remarks might be made thereon, he had no
objection; a fact which was obvious, Sir Ashley seeming rather pleased
than otherwise with the proposal.

After this they lived quietly and uneventfully for two or three years at
Sir Ashley Mottisfont's residence in that part of England, with as near
an approach to bliss as the climate of this country allows. The child
had been a godsend to Philippa, for there seemed no great probability of
her having one of her own: and she wisely regarded the possession of
Dorothy as a special kindness of Providence, and did not worry her mind
at all as to Dorothy's possible origin. Being a t