to her discredit before, and she had borne a very high
character all the time as she'd been at the Hall, this matter should be
hushed up, but she felt it wouldn't be right for her to remain. And so
my poor sister, as she couldn't say no otherwise than she did before,
and as she couldn't bear to face the other servants any more, left the
Hall that very night by her own wish, and told me her story as I've told
it you; for we've talked it over together scores of times, and I've got
it quite by heart. And from that day to this she's never looked up;
for, as it says in the psalm, `the iron has entered into her soul.'

"I couldn't stop long after that in Monksworthy, and so we all came over
here; and the Lord has prospered us--all but poor Jane; and yet I know
she'll tell you he has never left her nor forsaken her, and he's made
his promises `yea and Amen' to her, spite of her sorrow. But it's a
very sore trial, and the burden of it lies heavy on her heart still.

"There, sir, you've had the whole of it now, as well as I could give it
you; and I'm sure you'll deal gently with the poor creature, like the
good Master who wouldn't break the bruised reed."

For a little while no one spoke. Mr Maltby was deeply touched, and
Jane, whose face had been for some time past buried in her hands, could
not for a while restrain her sobbing. At last she looked up and said:
"Yes, dear Mr Maltby, Thomas has told you exactly how it all was, as he
has often heard it from me. They tell me not to fret. Ah! But it's
good advice easier given than followed. I don't want to murmur; I know
it's the Lord's will; but the trouble's gnawing and gnawing my life
away. Disgraced, dismissed as a thief and a liar, without a character,
a burden instead of a help to those who love me--oh, it _is_ hard, very
hard to bear! But those blessed words of the psalm you read, oh, how
they have comforted me! And in that Word of God I know I shall find
peace and strength. Ah, that reminds me Thomas has not mentioned to you
another thing that added weight to my burden. I had, when I was living
at the Hall, a little Bible of my dear mother's, which I used to read
every day. Only a very short time before the day when the bracelet was
shown me, that Bible was taken out of my box; and I've never seen it
since. I asked all the other servants about it, but every one declared
they had neither touched nor seen it. It could not have been taken for
its value, for i