Sir Charles rose early; and in the pride and joy of his heart, and not
quite without an eye to triumphing over his mortal enemy and his cold
friends, sent a mounted messenger with orders to his servants to
prepare for his immediate reception, and to send out his landau and
four horses to the "Rose," at Staveleigh, half-way between Huntercombe
and the place where he now was. Lady Bassett had announced herself able
for the journey.

After breakfast he asked her rather suddenly whether Mrs. Millar was
not rather an elderly woman to select for a nurse. "I thought people
got a young woman for that office."

"Oh," said Lady Bassett, "why, Mrs. Millar is not _the_ nurse. Of
course nurse is young and healthy, and from the country, and the best I
could have in every way for baby. But yet--oh, Charles, I hope you will
not be angry--who do you think nurse is? It is Mary Gosport--Mary Wells
that was."

Sir Charles was a little staggered. He put this and that together, and
said, "Why, she must have been playing the fool, then?"

"Hush! not so loud, dear. She is a married woman now, and her husband
gone to sea, and her child dead. Most wet-nurses have a child of their
own; and don't you think they must hate the stranger's child that parts
them from their own? Now baby is a comfort to Mary. And the wet-nurse
is always a tyrant; and I thought, as this one has got into a habit of
obeying me, she might be more manageable; and then as to her having
been imprudent, I know many ladies who have been obliged to shut their
eyes a little. Why, consider, Charles, would good wives and good
mothers leave their own children to nurse a stranger's? Would their
husbands let them? And I thought," said she, piteously, "we were so
fortunate to get a young, healthy girl, imprudent but not vicious,
whose fault had been covered by marriage, and then so attached to us
both as she is, poor thing!"

Sir Charles was in no humor to make mountains of mole-hills. "Why, my
dear Bella," said he, "after all, this is your department, not mine."

"Yes, but unless I please you in every department there is no happiness
for me."

"But you know you please me in everything; and the more I look into
anything, the wiser I always think you. You have chosen the best
wet-nurse possible. Send her to me."

Lady Bassett hesitated. "You will be kind to her. You know the
consequence if anything happens to make her fret. Baby will suffer for
it."

"Oh, I know. Catch me