r, particularly dwelling on
Mrs. Williams being such a good customer that he could not refuse to
bring me.

'Bless thee, John!' she said, as he concluded; 'I wish thee had as much
wit as good nature, and thee would not have brought another person's
child to burden us with. Suppose Master Freeman should not engage her,
what's to be done then?'

'I must take her back again, to be sure; but I don't see why he should
not engage her--she's a clean, wholesome-looking girl.'

The dame had eyed me pretty well during this conversation. She now gave
me another scrutinizing gaze, and then said to her husband:

'She may be clean and wholesome enough--I don't say anything against
that--but she's as white as a curd, and does not look as if she has ever
had a good meal of victuals in her life.'

'The more's the pity, wife. Then let us give her one. I told you how
cruelly that umbrella-maker in the borough used her. I should like to
have the dressing of them with my horsewhip. I would lay it on them with
goodwill, I give you my word.'

'No fear of that,' replied his wife, 'and they deserve it, too. Come,
child, don't stand there by the door; here's a seat for you by the fire.
Dinner will soon be ready, and you shall not starve while you are with
us, I give you my word; but whether we can let you stay or not is a
different question.'

Soon after this their three children, two girls and a boy, who were
employed in the nursery-grounds, came in to dinner. The table was
quickly spread, and we sat down to an ample repast of good boiled
potatoes and fried bacon. After we had dined and sat awhile, Mr. Davis
said to me:

'Come, Miss Minnikin, let us go and see what Master Freeman will say to
us. Why, wife, I'll be flogged if the girl does not look better already.
I fancy she'll do credit to our keep.'

'I suppose the child was cold and wanted her dinner,' replied his wife,
'and now she has had it, of course she looks better. But do you see it
is past one o'clock? You had better make haste; and you, children, be
off to your work. You have stayed more than an hour at your dinner.'

We now all departed for Mr. Freeman's, which was about half a quarter of
a mile distant. The children went to their work in the garden, and Mr.
Davis led me up to the house. After having given an account to Mr.
Freeman of the money he had taken at the market that morning, he
presented me to him, and mentioned Mrs. Williams's request.

'Well, Master Davis,