Her hope had been, she said in great distress, to show her, in secret, a woman's sympathy.
Her hope had been to avert the wrath of Heaven from a House that had long been hateful to the suffering many.
"She had reasons for believing that there was a young sister living, and her greatest desire was, to help that sister.
I could tell her nothing but that there was such a sister; beyond that, I knew nothing.
Her inducement to come to me, relying on my confidence, had been the hope that I could tell her the name and place of abode.
Whereas, to this wretched hour I am ignorant of both.
* * *
"These scraps of paper fail me. One was taken from me, with a warning, yesterday. I must finish my record to-day.
"She was a good, compassionate lady, and not happy in her marriage.
How could she be! The brother distrusted and disliked her, and his influence was all opposed to her; she stood in dread of him, and in dread of her husband too.