Mrs. Milvey, with the most unaffected grace in the world, congratulated them, and was glad to see them. Yet her engaging face, being an open as well as a perceptive one, was not without her husband’s latent smile.

“ Mrs. Boffin wishes to adopt a little boy, my dear.”

Mrs. Milvey, looking rather alarmed, her husband added:

“An orphan, my dear.”

“Oh!” said Mrs. Milvey, reassured for her own little boys.

“And I was thinking, Margaretta, that perhaps old Mrs. Goody’s grandchild might answer the purpose.”