I enquired how long ago he had made this discovery. He said about a
fortnight, and he did not know where to look for the child, for it might
come at any moment. "You know," he said, "babies come so suddenly; one
goes to bed one night and next morning there is a baby. Why, it might
die of cold if we are not on the look-out for it. I hope it will be a
boy."
"And you have told your governess about this?"
"Yes, but she puts me off and does not help me: she says it will not come
for many years, and she hopes not then."
"Are you quite sure that you have not made any mistake in all this?"
"Oh, no; because Mrs Burne, you know, called here a few days ago, and I
was sent for to be looked at. And mamma held me out at arm's length and
said, 'Is he Mr Pontifex's child, Mrs Burne, or is he mine?' Of course,
she couldn't have said this if papa had not had some of the children
himself. I did think the gentleman had all the boys and the lady all the
girls; but it can't be like this, or else mamma would not have asked Mrs
Burne to guess; but then Mrs Burne said, 'Oh, he's Mr Pontifex's child
_of course_,' and I didn't quite know what she meant by saying 'of
course': it seemed as though I was right in thinking that the husband has
all the boys and the wife all the girls; I wish you would explain to me
all about it.
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