consciousness that she ought to do so, than from any warmth of gratitude
in her own heart. So far from being grateful to the homely sun-burned
woman who hugged her, she felt a sort of resentment towards her for
finding her on the sea-shore and making a cottage child of her. It ought
to have been Mrs. Rushton who found her, and perhaps she might have done
so if Mrs. Kane or her husband had not been in such a hurry to take her
in. Then Grant could not have taunted her with being a village
foundling, and nobody could have declared she was not intended to be a
lady.

After her one embrace Mrs. Kane wiped her eyes and led the child out of
the cottage to the carriage door.

"Ah, Mrs. Rushton!" she said, "this is your Hetty now and not mine any
more. What does a fine young lady like this want to know of a poor old
mammy like me? I gave her to you, body and soul, five years ago, and may
the good God grant that I did right! My little Hetty, that loved the big
moon-daisies and the field-lilies like her life, is as dead as my other
children who are in heaven. It lies in your hands, ma'am, to make good
or bad out of this one."

"You are a curious woman, Mrs. Kane. I thought you would have been
delighted to see what a little queen I have made of her."

"Queens require kingdoms, ma'am, and I make free to wish that your
little lady may sit safe on her throne. And after that I can only hope
that she has more heart for you than for me."

"Come, come, Mrs. Kane! you must not expect memory from a baby. Hetty
will soon renew her acquaintance with you, and you and she will be