did not know that the girl was dead. Her hope had been, she said

in great distress, to show her, in secret, a woman’s sympathy. Her

hope had been to avert the wrath of Heaven from a House that had

long been hateful to the suffering many.

“She had reasons for believing that there was a young sister

living, and her greatest desire was, to help that sister. I could tell

her nothing but that there was such a sister; beyond that, I knew

nothing. Her inducement to come to me, relying on my confidence,

had been the hope that I could tell her the name and place of

abode. Whereas, to this wretched hour I am ignorant of both.

“These scraps of paper fail me. One was taken from me, with a

warning yesterday. I must finish my record today.

“She was a good, compassionate lady, and not happy in her

marriage. How could she be! The brother distrusted and disliked

her, and his influence was all opposed to her; she stood in dread of

him, and in dread of her husband too. When I handed her down to

the door, there was a child, a pretty boy from two to three years

old, in her carriage.

“‘For his sake, Doctor,’ she said, pointing to him in tears. ‘I

would do all I can to make what poor amends I can. He will never

prosper in his inheritance otherwise. I have a presentiment that if

no other innocent atonement is made for this, it will one day be

required of him. What I have left to call my ownit is little beyond

the worth of a few jewelsI wi