s. Oh, you
won't eat first! Very well; then the others shall not have a morsel till
your mouth is full. And they seem to want it bad enough. Where is the
dead baby?"

In the kitchen, where now they stood, not a spark of fire was lingering,
but some wood-ash still retained a feeble memory of warmth; and three
little children (blest with small advance from babyhood) were huddling
around, with hands, and faces, and sharp grimy knees poking in for
lukewarm corners; while two rather senior young Carroways were lying
fast asleep, with a jack-towel over them. But Tommy was not there;
that gallant Tommy, who had ridden all the way to Filey after dark, and
brought his poor father to the fatal place.

Mordacks, with his short, bitter-sweet smile, considered all these
little ones. They were not beautiful, nor even pretty; one of them was
too literally a chip of the old block, for he had reproduced his dear
father's scar; and every one of them wanted a "wash and brush up," as
well as a warming and sound victualling. Corruptio optimi pessima. These
children had always been so highly scrubbed, that the great molecular
author of existence, dirt, resumed parental sway, with tenfold power
of attachment and protection, the moment soap and flannel ceased their
wicked usurpation.

"Please, sir, I couldn't keep them clean, I couldn't," cried Geraldine,
choking, both with bread and milk, and tears. "I had Tommy to feed
through the coal-cellar door; and all the bits of victuals in the house
to hunt up; and it did get so dark, and it was so cold. I am frightened
to think of what mother will say for my burning up all of her brushes,
and the baskets. But please, sir, little Cissy was a-freezing at the
nose."

The three little children at the grate were peeping back over the pits
in their shoulders, half frightened at the tall, strange man, and half
ready to toddle to him for protection; while the two on the floor sat up
and stared, and opened their mouths for their sister's bread and milk.
Then Jerry flew to them, and squatted on the stones, and very nearly
choked them with her spoon and basin.

"Molly, take two in your apron, and be off," said the factor to the
stout fish-woman--who was simply full of staring, and of crying out "Oh
lor!"--"pop them into the hot bed at once; they want warmth first, and
victuals by-and-by. Our wonderful little maid wants food most. I will
come after you with the other three. But I must see my little queen f