Soon after Napoleon was taken away by the bride and bridegroom, Mrs.
Force came with her secretary and interviewed the children. The
secretary took down notes while Mrs. Force put the questions to the
older boys and girls. Mr. Bingle had been virtually ordered out of the
room. Afterwards he was called in to hear the report which showed that
Frederick, Marie Louise, Wilberforce and Reginald seldom had enough to
eat, were always cold and unhappy, and were really quite eager to go
into other homes, if it would help "poor daddy." The smaller children
whimpered, but it was because they were overawed and frightened by
Mrs. Force, who in the Seawood days had always been looked upon by
them as the "bad fairy." Melissa, good soul, openly professed that she
and Mr. Bingle could manage to take care of the "kids" all right, but
in secret she prayed that the Society would take away a half a dozen
or so of the little ingrates.
At last Mr. Bingle agreed to let the children go, but stipulated that
they should be sent direct to private homes, and not go, like a flock
of sheep, into an asylum or Orphans' Home from which they might be
parcelled out singly to any Tom, Dick or Harry who came to look them
over.
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