ed himself, then even borrow
a shilling which he could not pay. To suppose that he
would take money [she had tried to write the word "steal"
but she could not bring her pen to form the letters] is
monstrous. But, somehow, the circumstances have been made
to look bad against him, and they say that he must come
over here to the magistrates. I often think that of all
men in the world papa is the most unfortunate. Everything
seems to go against him, and yet he is so good! Poor mamma
has been over here, and she is distracted. I never saw her
so wretched before. She had been to your friend Mr. Walker,
and came to me afterwards for a minute. Mr. Walker has got
something to do with it, though mamma says she thinks he
is quite friendly to papa. I wonder whether you could
find out, through Mr. Walker, what he thinks about it. Of
course, mamma knows that papa has done nothing wrong; but
she says that the whole thing is most mysterious, and
that she does not know how to account for the money. Papa,
you know, is not like other people. He forgets things;
and is always thinking, thinking, thinking of his great
misfortunes. Poor papa! My heart bleeds so when I remember
all his sorrows, that I hate myself for thinking about
myself.

When mamma left me,--and it was then I first knew that
papa would really have to be tried,--I went to Miss
Annabella, and told her that I would go home. She asked me
why, and I said I would not disgrace her house by staying
in it. She got up and took me in her arms, and there came
a tear out of both her dear old eyes, and she said that if
anything evil came to papa,--which she would not believe,
as she knew him to be a good man,--there should be a home
in her house not only for me, but for mamma and Jane.
Isn't she a wonderful woman? When I think of her, I
sometimes think that she must be an angel already. Then
she became very serious,--for just before, through her
tears, she had tried to smile,--and she told me to
remember that all people could not be like her, who had
nobody to look to but herself and her sister; and that at
present I must task myself not to think of that which I
had been thinking of before. She did not mention anybody's
name, but of course I understood very well what she meant;
and I suppose she is right. I said nothing in answer to
her, for I could not speak