and tidy and neat in her ways, and Jane took arter her, and glad
she was when the time came to marry and get away from Varley. Oi be
roight sure if she knows owt what's going on down here, she would
be glad to know as her child ain't bein' brought oop in Varley ways.
I ha' arranged wi' the woman where she gets her meals for her to
go to school wi' her own children. Dost thee object to that, lass?
--if so, say so noo afore it's too late, but doon't thraw it in
moi face arterwards. Ef thou'st children they shalt go to school
too. Oi don't want to do more for Polly nor oi'd do for moi own."

"I ha' no objection, Luke. I remembers your sister, how pretty and
quiet she wor; and thou shalt do what you likest wi' Polly, wi'out
no grumble from me."

Eliza Marner kept the promise she had made before marriage
faithfully. If she ever felt in her heart any jealousy as she saw
Polly growing up a pretty bright little maiden, as different to
the usual child product of Varley as could well be, she was wise
enough never to express her thoughts, and behaved with motherly
kindness to her in the evening hours spent at home. She would
perhaps have felt the task a harder one had her own elder children
been girls; but three boys came first, and a girl was not born until
she had been married eleven years. Polly, who was now fourteen,
had just come home from her schooling at Marsden for good, and
was about to go out into service there. But after the birth of
her little girl Mrs. Marner, who had never for a Varley girl been
strong, faded rapidly away; and Polly's stay at home, intended at
first to last but a few weeks, until its mother was about again,
extended into months.