Page:The Rejuvenation Of Miss Semaphore.pdf/162

 the truth. They'll do that elsewhere. The babies are mostly in a terrible way, starved, dirty, and diseased. We are trying to trace their parents, as several names and addresses were found in the possession of Brown, and you would probably have been subpœnæd to give evidence at her trial. Meantime the children have been taken to the workhouse."

What all this portended Prudence scarcely grasped. One fact, and one fact alone, stood out luridly before her. Augusta was in the workhouse.

"Oh!" she gasped in dismay, "in the workhouse! My sister in the workhouse, Where is it? Let me go at once. I must take her away."

"I think you had better not attempt to do anything of the kind," said the Inspector stiffly. "The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has taken the matter up, and you'll hear more of it later. You had better just leave the child alone. She is in good hands now anyway, very different from those you put her into. My advice to you is to keep quiet. You'll see her all right later on, and may be you'll have to tell your share in the case."

"My share in the case is easily told," said