little lady. There was not a child there to compare to her."

"Yes, I have noticed her myself," Mrs. Walsham said. "She is a
singularly pretty and graceful child; but it will certainly cause
remark."

"Well, mother, you can easily say, what is really the fact, that you
naturally felt an interest in her because I picked her out of the
water. Besides, if people make remarks they will soon be tired of that;
and if not, I can get into some scrape or other and give them something
else to talk about."

Accordingly, when Sergeant Wilks called on Monday morning for his
answer, Mrs. Walsham told him that she had decided to accept his offer.

"You are aware how I am placed," she said, "and that I cannot give her
the care and time which I could wish, and which she ought to have for
such a liberal payment as you propose; but you know that beforehand,
and you see that for two years' payments I could not sacrifice my
school connection, which I should have to do if I gave her the time I
should wish."

"I understand, madam," he said, "and I am grateful to you for
consenting to take her. She is getting too old now to wander about with
me, and since the narrow escape she had, last time I was here, I have
felt anxious whenever she was out of my sight. It would not suit me to
put her in a farm house. I want her to learn to speak nicely, and I
have done my best to teach her; but if she went to a farm house she
would be picking up all sorts of country words, and I want her to talk
like a little lady.

"So that is settled, ma'm. I am going on to Exeter from here, and shall
get her a stock of clothes there, and will bring her back next
Saturday. Will it suit you to take her then?"

Mrs. Walsham said that would suit very well; and an hour later the
sergeant set out from Sidmouth with his box, Aggie trotting alongside,
talking continuously.

"But why am I to stop with that lady, grampa, and not to go about with
you any more? I sha'n't like it. I like going about, though I get so
tired sometimes when you are showing the pictures; and I like being
with you. It isn't 'cause I have been naughty, is it? 'Cause I fell out
of the boat into the water? I won't never get into a boat again, and I
didn't mean to fall out, you know."

"No, Aggie, it's not that," the sergeant said. "You are always a good
girl--at least, not always, because sometimes you get into passions,
you know. Still, altogether you are a good little girl. Still, you see,
you