educated, trained, dressed, and everything else, just as if she had been
in her mother's house. As for her own people coming for her, I am not
sure that I shall give her up if they do. Not unless I have grown tired
of her in the meantime."

"Tired of her!" echoed Mrs. Kane, looking at her visitor in great
surprise; "surely, madam, you do not think you will get tired of our
little Hetty!"

"I hope not, my good woman; but even if I do you cannot complain, as in
that case I shall give her back to you; that is, if it happens before
her friends come to fetch her. Unless you are pretending to grieve now,
you cannot be sorry at the prospect of having her again."

"That's true," said the poor woman in a puzzled tone, and she still
looked wistfully at the handsome visitor sitting before her. She did not
know how to express herself, and she was afraid of offending the lady
who was going to be Hetty's mother; yet she felt eager to make some
remonstrance against the injustice of the proceeding which Mrs. Rushton
spoke of as within the bounds of possibility. She believed in her heart
that a great wrong would be done if the child, having been educated and
accustomed to luxury for years, were to be carelessly thrown back into a
life of lowly poverty. However, the trouble that was in her heart could
not find its way through her lips, and she tried to think that Mrs.
Rushton spoke only in jest.

"It is altogether like a romance," that lady was saying as she folded up
the baby garment and put it away in a pretty scented satchel which she
wore at her side. "I have not met with anything so interesting for
years, and I promise myself a great deal of pleasure in the matter."