That it belonged to rich people was clear from
its clothes; and to foreigners, from the coronet, which was certainly
not English. More the rector could not say, except that its parents
evidently wanted to get rid of it, and had connived at placing it on the
shepherd's doorstep.
As to keeping it, that was a point entirely for the shepherd and his
wife to decide. If they chose to send it to the workhouse, no one could
blame them for doing so. He doubted exceedingly anyone ever claiming it,
but he advised Mrs. Shelley to lock up all its clothes and things in
case of their being needed for identification at any future period. He
also counselled them, if they thought of keeping the child, to weigh the
matter well before they decided, as it would be cruel kindness to take
it in for a time and then tire of it and send it to the union.
But John Shelley was not a man to do this, as his wife well knew. If he
decided to keep the child he would do his duty by it, and go to the
workhouse himself before he suffered that to do so. All that day John
was very thoughtful, but when he came in to supper that night he told
Mrs.
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