"Have you got the
toothache?"
"I never had toothache. I want to know something."
"I often want to know things," said Nell, now sitting bolt upright in
her little bed; "I'm sometimes _dying_ of curiosity. But it never
routed me out of my sleep in the middle of the night."
"It's about Hetty," said Reine, sitting on the floor in a faint streak
of moonlight, and looking like a spirit--if spirits have curly hair.
"You've gone Hetty-mad!" said Nell; "wouldn't Hetty keep till morning?
We're not going to transport her or lock her up. You will have all next
week to sit looking at her."
"Where did you get her?" asked Reine. "I know she is a foundling; but
she must have had a beginning somewhere."
"Of course she had; and a most peculiar one. She was found on the Long
Sands. That is a place three miles from Wavertree on the sea-shore,
where wrecks often come in. John Kane, one of the carters, found her,
and Mrs. Kane took her home. Then Aunt Amy, who is dead, fancied her and
adopted her. When Aunt Amy died she was left unprovided for, and papa
brought her here; and here she is.
Pages:
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241