on't know where her grave is."

"And what became of you? Had you friends to go to?"

"No one; I was quite alone.--We had been living in lodgings. The
landlady told me that of course I couldn't stay on there; she couldn't
afford to keep me; I must go and find a home somewhere. Try and think
what that meant to me. I was so young and ignorant that such an idea as
that I might one day have to earn my own living had never entered my
mind. I was fed and clothed like every one else,--a good deal better,
indeed, than some of the children at school,--and I didn't know why it
shouldn't always be so. Besides, I was a vain child; I thought myself
clever; I had even begun to look at myself in the glass and think I was
handsome. It seemed quite natural that every one should be kind and
indulgent to me. I shall never forget the feeling I had when the
landlady spoke to me in that hard, sharp way. My whole idea of the
world was overset all at once; I seemed to be in a miserable dream. I
sat in my mother's bedroom hour after hour, and, every step I heard on
the stairs, I thought it must be my mother coming back home to me;--it
was impossible to believe that I was left alone, and could look to no
one for help and comfort."

"Next morning the landlady came up to me again, and said, if I liked,
she could tell me of a way of earning my living. It was by going as a
servant to an eating-house in a street close by, where they wanted some
one to wash up dishes and do different kinds of work not too hard for a
child like me. I could only do as I was advised; I went at once, and
was engaged. They took off the dress I was wearing, which was far too
good for me then, and gave me a dirty, ragged one; then I was set to
work at once to clean some knives. Nothing was said about wages or
anything of that kind; only I understood that I should live in the
house, and have all given me that I needed. Of course I was very
awkward. I tried my very hardest to do everything that was set me, but
only got scolding for my pains; and it soon came to boxes on the ear,
and even kicks. The place was kept by a man and wife; they had a
daughter older than I, and they treated her just like a hired servant.
I used to sleep with the girl in a wretched kitchen underground, and
the poor thing kept me awake every night with crying and complaining of
her hard life. It was no harder than mine, and I can't think she felt
it more; but I had even then a kind of stubborn pride whi