"No, miss, that we can't. It was always John's wish when he lay a dyin', that if anything was to happen to Sarah, the child should come to us. It's the trouble of the young thing, the responsibility--havin' to keep your eyes upon her every blessed moment for fear she do the thing she ought not to--that's what weighs upon me. Oh, yes, they'll pay so much a quarter for her! it's not that. But to be always at the heels of a young, sly puss after mischief--it's more'n I'm equal to, I do assure you, Miss Raymount." "When did you see her last?" inquired Hester. "Not once have I set eyes on her since she was three years old!" answered Miss Witherspin, and her tone seemed to imply in the fact yet additional wrong. "Then perhaps she may be wiser by this time," Hester suggested. "How old is she now?" "Sixteen out. It's awful to think of!" "But how do you know she will be so troublesome? She mayn't want the looking after you dread. You haven't seen her for thirteen years!" "I'm sure of it. I know the breed, miss! She's took after her mother, you may take your mortal oath! The sly way she got round our John!--an' all to take him right away from his own family as bore and bred him! You wouldn't believe it, miss!" "Girls are not always like their mothers," said Hester. "I'm not half as good as my mother." "Bless you, miss! if she ain't half as bad as hers--the Lord have mercy upon us! How I'm to attend to my lodgers and look after her, it's more than I know how to think of it with patience." "When is she coming?" "She'll be here this blessed day as I'm speakin' to you, miss!" "Perhaps, your house being full, you may find her a help instead of a trouble. It won't be as if she had nothing to employ her!" "There's no good to mortal creature i' the bones or blood of her!" sighed Miss Witherspin, as she put the tablecloth on the top of the breakfast-things.