Spires and her like gets rid of
the poor little things. Change the milk a few times, a little neglect, and
the poor servant girl is spared the trouble of bringing up her baby and
can make a handsome child of the rich woman's little starveling."
At that moment the baby began to cry; both women looked in the direction
of the cradle.
"Nurse, you have utterly forgotten yourself, you have talked a great deal
of nonsense, you have said a great deal that is untrue. You accused me of
wishing your baby were dead, indeed I hardly know what wild remarks you
did not indulge in. Of course, I cannot put up with such
conduct--to-morrow you will come to me and apologise. In the meantime the
baby wants you, are you not going to her?"
"I'm going to my own child."
"That means that you refuse to nurse my baby?"
"Yes, I'm going straight to look after my own."
"If you leave my house you shall never enter it again."
"I don't want to enter it again."
"I shall not pay you one shilling if you leave my baby. You have no
money."
"I shall try to manage without. I shall go with my baby to the workhouse.
However bad the living may be there, he'll be with his mother."
"If you go to-night my baby will die. She cannot be brought up on the
bottle."
"Oh, I hope not, ma'am. I should be sorry, indeed I should.
Pages:
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220