When she was left an orphan, Mr. Burnett had adopted her, and she
remembered the joy of coming to Ashwood. She had thought to find happiness
there; but there, as at home, fate had gone against her, and she was hardly
eighteen when Mr. Burnett had asked her to marry him. She had loved that
old man, but he had not loved her; for when she had refused to marry him he
had broken all his promises and left her penniless, careless of what might
become of her. Then she had given her whole heart to Julia, and Julia, too,
had deceived her. And had she not loved Hubert?--no one would ever know how
much; she did not know herself,--and had he not lied to her? Oh, it was
very cruel to deceive a poor little girl in this heartless way! There was
no heart in the world, that was it--and she was all heart; and her heart
had been trampled on ever since she could remember. And when they came back
they would revenge themselves upon her--insult her with their happiness;
perhaps insist on sending her away.
Dandy drowsed on her lap. The servant brought in the tea, and when he
returned to the kitchen he said he had never seen any one look so
ghost-like as Miss Emily. The clock ticked loudly in the silence of the old
room, the hands moving slowly towards ten.
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