When you saw a thing was not meant to be, said
Nancy, it was a bounden duty to leave off so much as wishing for it.
And so far, perhaps, the wisest of men could scarcely make more than a
verbal improvement in her principle. But the conditions under which
she held it apparent that a thing was not meant to be, depended on a
more peculiar mode of thinking. She would have given up making a
purchase at a particular place if, on three successive times, rain, or
some other cause of Heaven's sending, had formed an obstacle; and
she would have anticipated a broken limb or other heavy misfortune
to anyone who persisted in spite of such indications.
'But why should you think the child would turn out ill?' said
Godfrey, in his remonstrances. 'She has thriven as well as child can
do with the weaver; and he adopted her. There isn't such a pretty
little girl anywhere else in the parish, or one fitter for the station
we could give her. Where can be the likelihood of her being a curse to
anybody?'
'Yes, my dear Godfrey,' said Nancy, who was sitting with her
hands tightly clasped together, with yearning, regretful affection
in her eyes. 'The child may not turn out ill with the weaver. But,
then, he didn't go to seek her, as we should be doing. It will be
wrong: I feel sure it will. Don't you remember what that lady we met
at the Royston Baths told us about the child her sister adopted?
That was the only adopting I ever heard of: and the child was
transported when it was twenty-three.
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