Lucia saw that the narration must come from her; for Bella, worn out by the painful excitement of the morning, was incapable of describing what had so greatly moved her, and could scarcely bear even to hear the baby's death spoken of as a thing not to be regretted.
"Poor little creature!" Mrs.Bellairs said.

"Even the mother by-and-by may be glad it is gone." "Elise!" Bella cried impatiently, "how can you be so cruel?
And you are a mother yourself!" "You forget, dear, what a fate those children have; and yet, since you feel so pitifully towards them, it certainly does not become me to be less charitable;" and the kind-hearted woman wiped furtively the tears of genuine compassion which she had been shedding over the sorrows of the Clarksons, and never thought of defending herself from her sister's blame; though, to tell the truth, she had not in her whole nature a single spark of cruelty or uncharitableness, and that Bella knew perfectly well.
Lucia went on to mention the things really needed by the squatter's family.

Mrs.Costello turned to Bella, "Do you really mean," she asked, "to keep them on the farm after this winter ?" "Yes.

I certainly shall not allow them to be turned out as long as they like to stay.

I am going to have the land cleared and put under cultivation.