'Be not hard on the orphans,' she said.
'Heaven forbid, my Lady,' says I, 'but I must look after your
interests.'"
The children hung round old Whitefoot, making much of her for the
last time, and Patience and Rusha both cried sadly when she was led
away; and it was hard to believe Master Blane, who told them it was
best for Whitefoot as well as for themselves, since they would find
it a hard matter to get food even for the more necessary animals in
the winter, and the poor beast would soon be skin and bone; while for
themselves the donkey could carry all they wanted to market; and it
might be more important than they understood to be thus regularly
accepted as tenants by the manor, so that no one could turn them out.
And Stead, remembering the cavern, knew that he ought to be thankful,
while the two men went away, Brown observing, "One can scarce turn
'em out, poor things, but such a mere lubber as that boy is can do no
good! If the elder one had thought fit to stay and mind his own
business now!"
"A good riddance, I say," returned Blane.
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