nding her out, never having a
suspicion of her having another man, and feeling much anxiety about her.

But none of my money was my own, and what use as a beggar could I be to
her?--so yielding to my solicitations at last she again went to service
at a short distance from my house. Then I found out a convenient
house close by, she got out as often as she could, and we had stealthy
meetings and pokings in a hurry. The old lady and her middle-aged son
with whom she lived liked her, and indulged her; so we often got two or
three hours together, yet the difficulty of meeting became irksome, she
got restless, would go as a bar-maid (she understood the business),
go to America, go anywhere so as to get away from service. Then
circumstances prevented my meeting her for two or three weeks; when I
did again she reproached me, and hoped I had not got any one else.

Soon after she told me her sister was in the family way, having been
seduced by the young man who was to have married her, I saw the letter
describing this. "I am glad of it," said Mary, "for she was hard on
me." The sister came to town, I wanted to see her, but Mary would never
arrange it, though I saw her letters frequently. Then I made one or
two appointments with Mary which were not kept, went to the house one
evening, and whilst Mary was whispering to me at the street door, her
Master appeared, and asked who I was. Mary said I was her cousin.
Then he ordered her in-doors, saying they did not allow their servants
callers.

Then her Mistress began to treat her harshly; and we thought some of my
letters had been intercepted. I was obliged to go abroad for a time, and
wrote to tell her. On my return I found letter after letter from her at
the post-office. She was about to leave, wanted my advice, would I allow
her ten shillings a week, she would make it do; be faithful to me, and
live close by me; go to service again she would not, she would sooner go
on the streets, her sister had done so. Again an upbraiding letter,--she
never thought I would have neglected her so, I who was so kind and
affectionate, I whom she loved so much,--if I did not reply it was the
last I would hear of her.

I dressed myself up shabbily, and at dusk went to the place she lived
at. The Master opened the door but did not know me again. She had left,
had gone he knew not where. "Why?" did I ask. Then I tried all possible
places, but I never heard of her for years, and greatly feared she had