ugh for her
child. For, she said to me, with such pretty earnestness, 'It must
never know want, whatever I do. I have deserved suffering, but it
will be such a little innocent darling!' Her utmost earnings would
not be more than seven or eight shillings a week, I'm afraid; and
then she is so young and so pretty!"

"There is that fifty pounds Mrs Morgan brought me, and those two
letters. Does she know about them yet?"

"No; I did not like to tell her till she is a little stronger. Oh,
Thurstan! I wish there was not this prospect of a child. I cannot
help it. I do--I could see a way in which we might help her, if it
were not for that."

"How do you mean?"

"Oh, it's no use thinking of it, as it is! Or else we might have
taken her home with us, and kept her till she had got a little
dress-making in the congregation, but for this meddlesome child;
that spoils everything. You must let me grumble to you, Thurstan.
I was very good to her, and spoke as tenderly and respectfully of
the little thing as if it were the Queen's, and born in lawful
matrimony."

"That's right, my dear Faith! Grumble away to me, if you like. I'll
forgive you, for the kind thought of taking her home with us. But do
you think her situation is an insuperable objection?"

"Why, Thurstan!--it's so insuperable, it puts it quite out of the
question."

"How?--that's only repeating your objection. Why is it out of the
question?"

"If there had been no child coming, we might have called her by her
right name--Miss Hilton; that's one thing. Then, another is, the baby
in our house. Why, Sally would go distraught!"

"Never mind Sally. If she were an orphan relation of our own, left
widowed," said he, pausing, as if in doubt. "You yourself suggested
she should be considered as a widow, for the child's sake. I'm only
taking up your ideas, dear Faith. I respect you for thinking of
taking her home; it is just what we ought to do. Thank you for
reminding me of my duty."

"Nay, it was only a passing thought. Think of Mr Bradshaw. Oh! I
tremble at the thought of his grim displeasure."

"We must think of a higher than Mr Bradshaw. I own I should be a very
coward, if he knew. He is so severe, so inflexible. But after all he
sees so little of us; he never comes to tea, you know, but is always
engaged when Mrs Bradshaw comes. I don't think he knows of what our
household consists."

"Not know Sally? Oh yes, but he does. He asked Mrs Bradshaw one day,
if she