When his wife
lifted her hand against me, he lost all self-control, on his
side. He openly told her that life was worth nothing to him
without me. He openly avowed his resolution to go with me when I
left the house. The maddened woman seized him by the arm--I saw
that, and saw no more. I ran out into the street, panic-stricken.
A cab was passing. I got into it before he could open the house
door, and drove to the only place of refuge I could think of--a
small shop, kept by the widowed sister of one of our servants.
Here I obtained shelter for the night. The next day he discovered
me. He made his vile proposals; he offered me the whole of his
fortune; he declared his resolution, say what I might, to return
the next day. That night, by help of the good woman who had taken
care of me-- under cover of the darkness, as if _I_ had been to
blame!--I was secretly removed to the East End of London, and
placed under the charge of a trustworthy person who lived, in a
very humble way, by letting lodgings.
"Here, in a little back garret at the top of the house, I was
thrown again on the world-- an age when it was doubly perilous
for me to be left to my own resources to earn the bread I ate and
the roof that covered me.
Pages:
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411