afraid of
her robbing me.'

'No, indeed,' replied his sister; 'you will have no cause. You might
trust her with your pack and boxes all open; she would not rob you of a
farthing's worth; she is only _too_ honest, that is her fault.'

'And it is a fault that perhaps I can cure her of,' returned her
brother. 'But she has only been used to gardening. She will be of very
little use to us, for we do not want a girl merely to carry a band-box.'

'She can work very well at her needle,' quickly answered his sister. 'It
is unknown the sewing she has done for me since she has been here. I
have never had the children so tidy in my life as since she has been
with us. I shall miss her help very much, that I know I shall.'

'Do not let me go,' said I, for I was really frightened at the thought
of being sent away with Mr. Sharpley and his wife. 'Pray let me stay. I
will work so hard; I will do everything I can to please you.'

'Will you promise to take a little fruit, as the others do, and not say
anything when you see my children take some, and to take a market-penny
when you can get it?' answered Mrs. Davis. 'Promise me that, and you
shall stay.'

'I cannot promise it,' said I, bursting into tears, 'for I must not
steal.'

'Very well, then, you shall go,' returned she. 'It is entirely your own
fault. I had no wish to part with you, but I cannot keep you to turn my
children out of bread.'

'Lady Anne is a _nonsuch_ of honesty,' said Mr. Sharpley; 'but I warrant
she will tell a different tale by this time twelvemonths. What say you,
wife? Shall we take her or not?'

'As she can work at her needle,' replied Mrs. Sharpley, 'suppose we give
her a trial for a few months. If she does not do for us, we can bring
her back again; and as for her honesty, that will not hurt us.'

'Well, then, I suppose it is a bargain,' said Mr. Sharpley, 'so, my
girl, if you have any better clothes make haste and put them on; and,
sister, let us have a bit of dinner, as I want to be going.'

'And I want you gone,' replied his sister, 'for if my good man comes
home before you are off, it's ten to one but he knocks all the business
on the head, and I shall have the girl on my hands again. Lady Anne,
make haste; and you, Suke, look after her a little.'

This command to Susan to watch me prevented my following a plan I had
just formed, which was to run back to the garden and tell Mr. Joseph
that they were going to send me away against my will; but I