and brought up as beggars."

A deep silence followed. The governess covered her eyes. The wounded
soldier slowly shook his head. Professor Morris, Ivan and jack stood
with bulging eyes staring at Warren, trying to make themselves
understand his speech. Ivan, who knew more of the ways of the half
barbaric people of Poland and Russia, nodded his head understandingly.
Jack stood with open mouth. The Professor rumpled his hair, though
deeply, and laughed.

"Now what would they do that for!" he asked sarcastically. "That sort
of thing is not done nowadays."

"Not in the best families," said Warren coldly. "But it is done, I'll
bet."

"Oh, yes, it's done," said Ivan, "all the time. I know my father
talked a lot about it just before the commencement of the war. He was
going to try to stamp out a lot of that sort of thing, especially what
affected the women and children. Yes, it is done, Professor."

"Not now," said the Professor stubbornly. "There was recorded a case
of that sort in 1793, and even later in the early sixties. Later,
there are no records at all bearing on the subject. And if no records,
surely there are no instances requiring the attention of thinking
people.

"It would be most natural to record any instance of the sort, however
small and trifling. In my researches I would have run across the
facts. There is no mention of it whatever."