V.

FORSAKEN.

The moment Nurse's footsteps died away Flower sprang to her feet,
snatched up a white wool shawl, which lay over the baby's cot, wrapped
it round her, and flew downstairs with the little creature in her arms.

Out through a side door which stood open ran Flower, down by the
shrubbery, over the stile, and in a few moments she was out again on the
wide, wild, lonely moor with Polly's pet pressed close to her beating
heart. Long before Nurse had returned to the nursery Flower had reached
the moor, and when poor, distracted Nurse discovered her loss, Flower
had wriggled herself into the middle of a clump of young oak-trees, and
was fondling and petting little Pearl, who sat upright on her knee. From
her hiding-place Flower could presently hear footsteps and voices, but
none of them came near her, and for the present baby was contented, and
did not cry. After a time the footsteps moved further off, and Flower
peeped from her shelter.

"Now, baby, come on," she said. She wrapped the shawl again firmly round
the little one, and started with a kind of trotting motion over the
outskirts of the moor. She was intensely excited, and her cheeks were
flushed with the first delicious glow of victory. Oh, how sorry Polly
would be now for having attempted to oppose her. Yes, Polly would know
now that Flower Dalrymple was not a person to be trifled with.

She was really a strong girl, though she had a peculiarly fragile look.
The weight of the three months' old baby was not very great, and for a
time she made quite rapid progress. After she had walked about a mile
she stood still to consider and to make her plans. No more ignorant girl
in all England could perhaps be found than this same poor silly,
revengeful Flower; but even she, with all her ideas Australian, and her
knowledge of English life and ways simply null and void, even she knew
that the baby could not live for a long time without food and shelter on
the wide common land which lay around. She did not mean to steal baby
for always, but she thought she would keep her for a month or two, until
Polly was well frightened and repentant, and then she would send her
back by some kind, motherly woman whom she was sure to come across. As
to herself, she had fully made up her mind never again to enter the
doors of Sleepy Hollow, for it would be impossible for her, she felt, to
associate with any people who had sat down to dinner with the
kitchen-maid. Holding the ba