"Whose child can this be?" said Patty.
"Patty," said Mark, "if we use this money, as we must and shall, it is part of a bargain, you know—a bargain to keep the child tenderly and faithfully, and make no effort to discover who sends it. We must keep faith."
"It will be very easy to be loving and tender to such a lovely baby," said Patty. "Look, did you ever see anything so wonderful, so beautiful, in all your life?"
"Fair as an angel," said Mark, gently kissing the wee white hand. "God bless the baby, the little angel baby that saved us."
"A hundred a year! This is very much money, just for keeping one little child," said Patty.
"We must pay ourselves what is fair, and keep the rest to educate the child, or make her dower."
"And we must keep her soul white and fair. The letter says, we are to train her like our own, Mark."
"Only, Patty, it is a child of noble blood, and if, some day, the mother claims her, she must not be ashamed of the child, Patty."
"Oh, Mark!" cried Patty, in terror, "suppose the mother is in all this storm? Go, Mark—take a light and look for her. Do go!"
"She cannot possibly be lingering here, Patty."