"I would see that she didn't come to any harm, anyhow, you know; and,
after all, I suppose it was my picking her out of the sea that had
something to do with his first thinking of putting her with you."

"I suppose it had, Jim," she said more seriously. "But what do you
think, my boy? You know there are disadvantages in it. There will be a
good deal of talk about my taking this showman's grandchild, and some
of the farmers' wives won't like it."

"Then let them dislike it," James said indignantly. "The child is as
good as their daughters, any day. Why, I noticed her in church looking
like a 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