of surprise at the interest which you appear to have felt in my late
daughter. It is quite unaccountable to me. If that interest makes you
anxious for any particulars of her early life, I must refer you to Mrs.
Clements, who knows more of the subject than I do. Pray understand
that I do not profess to have been at all overfond of my late daughter.
She was a worry to me from first to last, with the additional
disadvantage of being always weak in the head. You like candour, and I
hope this satisfies you.

There is no need to trouble you with many personal particulars relating
to those past times. It will be enough to say that I observed the
terms of the bargain on my side, and that I enjoyed my comfortable
income in return, paid quarterly.

Now and then I got away and changed the scene for a short time, always
asking leave of my lord and master first, and generally getting it. He
was not, as I have already told you, fool enough to drive me too hard,
and he could reasonably rely on my holding my tongue for my own sake,
if not for his. One of my longest trips away from home was the trip I
took to Limmeridge to nurse a half-sister there, who was dying. She
was reported to have saved money, and I thought it as well (in case any
accident happened to stop my allowance) to look after my own interests
in that direction. As things turned out, however, my pains were all
thrown away, and I got nothing, because nothing was to be had.

I had taken Anne to the north with me, having my whims and fancies,
occasionally, about my child, and getting, at such times, jealous of
Mrs. Clements' influence over her. I never liked Mrs. Clements. She
was a poor, empty-headed, spiritless woman--what you call a born
drudge--and I was now and then not averse to plaguing her by taking
Anne away. Not knowing what else to do with my girl while I was
nursing in Cumberland, I put her to school at Limmeridge. The lady of
the manor, Mrs. Fairlie (a remarkably plain-looking woman, who had
entrapped one of the handsomest men in England into marrying her),
amused me wonderfully by taking a violent fancy to my girl. The
consequence was, she learnt nothing at school, and was petted and
spoilt at Limmeridge House. Among other whims and fancies which they
taught her there, they put some nonsense into her head about always
wearing white. Hating white and liking colours myself, I determined to
take the nonsense out of her head as soon as we got ho