"She'll be nobody else's." "No, to be sure; you'll have a right to her, if you're a father to her, and bring her up according.

But," added Dolly, coming to a point which she had determined beforehand to touch upon, "you must bring her up like christened folks's children, and take her to church, and let her learn her catechise, as my little Aaron can say off--the "I believe", and everything, and "hurt nobody by word or deed",--as well as if he was the clerk.

That's what you must do, Master Marner, if you'd do the right thing by the orphin child." Marner's pale face flushed suddenly under a new anxiety.

His mind was too busy trying to give some definite bearing to Dolly's words for him to think of answering her.
"And it's my belief," she went on, "as the poor little creatur has never been christened, and it's nothing but right as the parson should be spoke to; and if you was noways unwilling, I'd talk to Mr.Macey about it this very day.

For if the child ever went anyways wrong, and you hadn't done your part by it, Master Marner--'noculation, and everything to save it from harm--it 'ud be a thorn i' your bed for ever o' this side the grave; and I can't think as it 'ud be easy lying down for anybody when they'd got to another world, if they hadn't done their part by the helpless children as come wi'out their own asking." Dolly herself was disposed to be silent for some time now, for she had spoken from the depths of her own simple belief, and was much concerned to know whether her words would produce the desired effect on Silas.
He was puzzled and anxious, for Dolly's word "christened" conveyed no distinct meaning to him.