The man and the woman looked down together, in silence, at the child.

He had some foolish hope that she would take it, that his part was ended.

Like an outlandish doll, with face contorted and thick-lidded eyes shut tightly against the sunshine, the outcast whimpered, too near the point of death for even the rebellion of arms and legs.
The woman in the saddle gave a short, incredulous cry.

Her face, all gay curiosity, had darkened in a shock of disgust.
"What in the world!" she scolded.

"Oh! Such a nasty little--Why did--What do you propose doing with it ?" Rudolph shook his head, like a man caught in some stupid blunder.
"I never thought of that," he explained heavily.