"Susy Minchin," she said. But here the little party were called to halt.
"Susy Minchin, what are you doing with that baby?" said Mr. Stokes, the curate.
Poor little Netty, alias Susy, found herself turning red and then pale.
"Please, sir," she said, dropping a curtsey that she was accustomed to make to her Board-school teacher, "please, I couldn't come without Dan."
"But I didn't know that Mrs. Minchin had a young baby," said the curate, who was very young and fair-haired himself, and looked much puzzled what to do.
"It would kill me to go back now, sir," said Netty, and there was such a passion of entreaty in her soft eyes and such a tremble round her pale lips that the young curate looked at a pretty girl who was standing near, and the pretty girl said:
"Oh! poor little dear, she shan't be disappointed. I would rather take the baby myself."
"But it's against the rules," said the curate, "and others may take advantage of it."
"You shan't be prevented from going, little Susy Minchin," said the girl, now coming forward. "Give me the baby until you are all well started; then you shall have it back again."
No sooner said than done—little Daniel was quickly transferred to the arms of the fair-haired and very beautiful young lady, and Netty, alias Susy, marched on in triumph.