and gave her credit for plenty of brains, and
what could suit her purpose better than this change of children? She
would see that in the first place she would get her own boy well brought
up, and perhaps provided for, with all sorts of chances of making money
out of the affair. It may have been an accident, of course, but if so,
it was a wonderfully fortunate one for her."

Such was the opinion among the women of the regiment when the news
became known, and Jane Humphreys was speedily made aware of the fact by
the change in their manner towards her. They had, however, but small
opportunity for demonstrating their opinion, for Mrs. Humphreys remained
shut up as much as possible in her room, and the one or two women who
were inclined to take a favourable view of the matter and so called upon
her, reported that she was completely prostrated by the occurrence.
Among the officers and their families the greatest commiseration was
felt for Captain Clinton and his wife, and the matter was discussed at
tiffin that day with great animation.

"Don't you think, doctor, that a woman must know her own child?" a young
ensign asked.

"Not at all, Arbuthnot; that is to say, not if you mean that she would
know it by any sort of maternal instinct. There is no such thing. She
has no more means of telling her own infant out of a dozen others of
similar complexion, age, and appearance, than she would have of picking
out her own pocket-handkerchief out of a dozen others of similar pattern
if they were all unmarked."

"But a sheep can pick out his own lamb among a hundred, doctor, and I am
sure they are alike as so many peas. Surely that must be maternal
instinct?"

"Not in the smallest degree, Arbuthnot. The sheep and other animals
possess in a very high degree a sense which is comparatively rudimentary
in human beings. I mean, of course, the sense of smell. A sheep knows
her lamb, and a cow knows her calf, neither by the sense of hearing or
by that of sight. She recognizes it solely and wholly by her sense of
smell, just as a dog can track its master's footsteps out of a thousand
by the same sense. The two babies are as alike as twins; and I am not
surprised that, if they really got mixed, this woman should not be able
to detect one from the other."

"It is an awful thing for Clinton," the major said. "Here he has got a
splendid estate, and he will never be certain whether his own son or a
stranger is going to inherit it after him. It