the truth. Good-by,
Jane; mind you look after everything till I come back, and take care of
the dog and cat. Come, Tom, we'll go now."

I threw her trunk on my shoulders, and followed her till we came to the
post-house. The chaise was ordered out, and we set off.

"Tom," said Lady O'Connor, as I again call her, now that she is clear of
Greenwich, "there is one portion of my history which you do not know--a
very trifling part indeed. When I saw in the newspapers that my husband
had, as I supposed, been executed, I am ashamed to say that I first
thought of suicide; but my better feelings prevailed, and I then
resolved to change my name and to let people _suppose_ that I was dead.
It was for that reason that I left my bonnet by the river-side and all
my apparel in the house, only taking away a few trinkets and valuables,
to dispose of for my future subsistence. I obtained a passage in a
transport bound to Woolwich, on the plea of my husband having arrived
from abroad; and, by mere accident, I found the goodwill of the
tobacconist's shop to be sold. It suited me--and there is the whole of
my history which you do not know.

"And now, as to Virginia, I intend to have her with me very soon. Your
mother is anxious that she should get into a high family, trusting that
her beauty will captivate some of the members--a bad kind of
speculation. I will advertise for a companion, and so arrange that your
mother shall not see me; and when your sister does come to me, it shall
not be as a companion, but as a child of my own. I owe you much,
Tom--indeed, almost everything; and it is the only way in which I can
repay you. I have already spoken to Sir James on the subject. He is
equally ready to pay the debt of gratitude, and therefore in future
Virginia is our adopted child."

"You are more than repaying me, Lady O'Connor," replied I, "and you are
obliging me in the quarter where I feel the obligation the greatest."

"That I believe, Tom; so now say no more about it."

I may as well here inform the reader that I remained a week at Chatham,
and that during that time Lady O'Connor put an advertisement in the
county paper, such as we knew would be a bait to my mother. This paper I
forwarded to Virginia, marking the advertisement. My mother immediately
replied to it, and Sir James O'Connor went up to Greenwich and had an
interview with my mother and Virginia, at apartments he had taken at the
hotel; appeared pleased with my sister, and