The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 154: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

<<* Fall said I; ‘who said it was a fall 2” “¢¢ They told me so.’ <¢*T was struck down.” ‘¢ ‘Struck, Miss Mary! Who could strike you? And what did you do to deserve such a severe chastisement? Who did it ! ‘< ¢ T spoke to my mother about the wet sheets.’ ‘©¢Ah! what amercy you were not killed! Ifyou had slept in them, your life would not have Seen worth afarthing. You would have caught cold, and you would have died of inflammation, I am sure of it. If anybody wants to commit murder without being found out, they have only to put them into damp | sheets.’ ‘««So I thought, and I took them out.’ £** You did quite right—quite right.’ ‘¢ “What have you heard about them ?’ said I. : “* Oh! Tonly went into the room in which you sleep; and I at once found how damp they were, and how dangerous it was; and I was going to tell your mamma, when | met her, and she told me to hold my tongue, but to :go down and take you away, as you had fallen down ina fit, and she could not bear to |} see you lying there.’ “*¢ And she didn’t do anything for me?’ ls ‘“* Oh, no, not as I know of, because you were lying on the floor bleeding. I % picked you up, and brought you here.’ : | *** And has she not inquired after me since ? *¢¢ Not once.’ “*¢ And don’t know whether I am yet sensible or not ?? “* «She does not yet know that.’ i} *** Well,’ I replied, ‘I think they don’t care much for me, [ think not at all, || but the time may come when they will act differently.’ ““*No, miss, they think, or affect to think, that you have injured them; but that cannot be, because you could not be cunning enough to dispose your | a to leave you all, and so deprive them of what they think they are entitled H te “©¢ } never could have believed half so much.’ *** Such, however, is the case.’ *¢* What can I do?’ ““* Nothing, my dear, but lie still till you get better, and don’t say any more ; but sleep, if you can sleep, will do you more good than anything else now for an hour or so, so lie down and sleep.’ * % *% * a 2 ‘The old woman left the room, and I endeavoured to compose myself to sleep ; but could not do so for some time, my mind being too actively engaged in con< sidering what I had better do, and I determined upon a course of conduct by which I thought to escape much of my present persecution. It was some days, however, before I could put it in practice, and one day I found my father and mother together, and I said to her— *** Mother, why do you not send me to school?’ i: elas you to school! did you mean you, miss 2’ “«* Yes, 1 meant myself, because other »eople go to scho but I have not been sch at all.’ ae orca amet “<“ Are you not contented ?’ : ««*t am not,’ I answered, ‘because other peoplelearn something; but at | the same time, I should be more out of your way, since I am more | eae to you, as you complain of me; it would not cost more than living at | home. 3 | : «What is the matter with the child?” asked my father. «<*T cannot tell,’ said my mother. «<< The better way will be to take care of her, and confine he ‘ the house, if she does not behave better.’ “it at actinic thine pate eda amnene sin unrnstion) kinins Abeer ndintesCacinrear merece ig nthe nisdshatthir tm atria tite Me Mata ACAI Nt nae nt ft tt MN tt tn pte en paar eatatahe en i Wy BE | HEY | He RP |) 1H i tt | 4 i At j alt % 1h hit ¥ pl uy ; i d F Is 1 it ter bios Wy HA a hI ; ' Hj pe H hed ! } a as ey i i , j ny 4 He Hi H i tae j iH ad iA i i | ( t i 1 al i ie a Hi } 4) i h ; i i : HY i Sit iF i i iaealabaotemmnataedanbnietaneemeademae ee Te PATE AAs nam nee iratenaeaiee® A A acts alps phi ’ ome ’ ra oe bth cecilia eat ammeter et allie eile lislte, UNE celiac ane Nims AR nett! te tesco ene ovenfenacnnmernntiat? arte A At OO LLG GC OEE EAR A tS I tN i i tn mate es pene ane st Cae oemaan ei pan nave ate hotness comicbooks.com \\ robe