At last the poor thin lips curved a little, crushing out the lines of suffering, and into the eyes there came a loving glance in place of the fixed, wondering look that was almost a stare.  A slight lifting of the hands, a motion of the head, a thrill through the whole body came next, and then a tender cooing sound.

“Did you ever see such beautiful eyes?” said the woman.  “It will be a splendid baby when it has picked up a little.”

“Let it pick up as fast as it can,” returned Pinky; “but mind what I say:  you are to be mum.  Here’s your pay for the first week, and you shall have it fair and square always.  Call it your own baby, if you will, or your grandson.  Yes, that’s better.  He’s the child of your dead daughter, just sent to you from somewhere out of town.  So take good care of him, and keep your mouth shut.  I’ll be round again in a little while.”

And with this injunction Pinky went away.  On the next Thursday she visited the St. John’s mission sewing-school in company with the little girl from Grubb’s court, but greatly to her disappointment, Edith did not make her appearance.  There were four or five ladies in attendance on the school, which, under the superintendence of one of them, a woman past middle life, with a pale, serious face and a voice clear and sweet, was conducted with an order and decorum not often maintained among a class of children such as were there gathered together.

It was a long time since Pinky had found herself so repressed and ill at ease.  There was a spiritual atmosphere in the place that did not vitalize her blood.  She felt a sense of constriction and suffocation.  She had taken her seat in the class taught usually by Edith, with the intention of studying that young lady and finding out all she could about her, not doubting her ability to act the part in hand with perfect self-possession.  But she had not been in the room a minute before confidence began to die, and very soon she found herself ill at ease and conscious of being out of her place.  The bold, bad woman felt weak and abashed.  An unseen sphere of purity and Christian love surrounded and touched her soul with as palpable an impression as outward things give to the body.  She had something of the inward distress and pain a devil would feel if lifted into the pure air of heaven, and the same desire to escape and plunge back into the dense and impure atmosphere in which evil finds its life and enjoyment.  If she had come with any good purpose, it would have been different, but evil, and only evil, was in her heart; and when this felt the sphere of love and purity, her breast was constricted and life seemed going out of her.

It was little less than torture to Pinky for the short time she remained.  As soon as she was satisfied that Edith would not be there, she threw down the garment on which she had been pretending to sew, and almost ran from the room.

“Who is that girl?” asked the lady who was teaching the class, looking in some surprise after the hurrying figure.