The Forlorn Hope

"She whipped two female 'prentices to death,
And hid them in the coal-hole. For her mind
Shaped strictest plans of discipline, sage schemes,
Such as Lycurgus taught."--Canning and Frere.

The favourite dentist of the neighbourhood dwelt in a grand mansion
at St. Norbert's, and thither were conducted Conrade and Francis, as
victims to the symmetry of their mouths. Their mother accompanied them
to supply the element of tenderness, Alison that of firmness; and, in
fact, Lady Temple was in a state of much greater trepidation than either
of her sons, who had been promised five shillings each as the reward of
fortitude, and did nothing but discuss what they should buy with it.

They escaped with a reprieve to Conrade, and the loss of one tooth of
Francis's, and when the rewards had been laid out, and presents chosen
for all the stay-at-home children, including Rose, Lady Temple became
able to think about other matters. The whole party were in a little
den at the pastrycook's; the boys consuming mutton pies, and the ladies
ox-tail soup, while waiting to be taken up by the waggonette which had
of late been added to the Myrtlewood establishment, when the little lady
thus spoke-"If you don't object, Miss Williams, we will go to Rachel's asylum on
our way home."

Miss Williams asked if she had made the appointment.

"No," said Lady Temple, "but you see I can't be satisfied about those
woodcuts; and that poor woman, Mrs. Kelland, came to me yesterday about
my lace shawl, and she is sadly distressed about the little girl. She
was not allowed to see her, you know, and she heard such odd things
about the place that I told her that I did not wonder she was in
trouble, and that I would try to bring the child home, or at any rate
see and talk to her."