the river s brink and stood in the midst of this night picture lonely and still looking at the water there were some boats and in the mud and these enabled us to come within a few yards of her without being seen i then signed to mr to remain where he was and emerged from their shade to speak to her i did not approach her without trembling for this gloomy end to her determined walk and the way in which she stood almost within the shadow of the iron bridge looking at the lights reflected in the strong tide inspired a dread within me i think she was talking to herself i am sure although absorbed david in gazing at the water that her shawl was off her shoulders and that she was her hands in it in an unsettled and bewildered way more like the action of a sleep than a waking person i know and never can forget that there was that in her wild manner which gave me no assurance but that she would sink before my eyes until i had her arm within my grasp at the same moment i said she uttered a terrified scream and struggled me with such strength that i doubt if i could have held her alone but a stronger hand than mine was laid upon her and when she raised her frightened eyes and saw whose it wa j she made but one more effort and dropped down between us we carried her away from tile water to where there were some dry stones and there laid her down crying and moaning in a little while she sat among the stones holding her wretched head with both her hands oh the river she cried passionately oh the river hush hush said i calm yourself but she still repeated the same words continually exclaiming oh the river over and over again i know it s like me she exclaimed i know that i belong to it i know that it s the natural company of such as i am it comes from country places w here there was once no harm in it � and it through the dismal streets and miserable � and it goes away like my life to a great sea that is always troubled � and i feel that i must go with it i have never known what despair was except in the tone of those words i can t keep away from it i can t forget it it haunts me day and night it s the only thing in all the world that i am fit for or that s fit for me oh the dreadful river the passed through my mind that in the face of my companion as he looked upon her without speech or motion i might have read his niece s history if i had known nothing of it i never saw in any painting or reality horror and compassion so blended he shook as if he would have fallen and his hand � i touched it with my own for liis appearance alarmed die � was deadly cold david she is in a state of frenzy i whispered to him she will speak in a httle time i don t know what he would have said in answer he made some motion with his mouth and seemed to think he had spoken but he had only pointed to her with his outstretched hand a new burst of crying came upon her now in which she once more hid her face among the stones and lay before us a prostrate e of humiliation and ruin knowing that this state must pass before we could speak to her with any hope i ventured to restrain him when he would have raised her and we stood by in silence until she became more tranquil said i then leaning down and helping her to rise � she seemed to want to rise as if with the intention of going away but she was weak and leaned against a boat do you know who this is who is with me she said faintly yes do you know that we have followed you a long way to night she shook her head she looked neither at him nor at me but stood in a attitude holding her bonnet and shawl in one hand without appearing conscious of them and pressing the other clenched against her forehead are you composed enough said i to speak on the subject which so interested you � i hope heaven may remember it � that snowy night her sobs broke out afresh and she murmured some inarticulate thanks to me for not having driven her away from the door i want to say nothing for myself she said after a few moments i am bad i am lost i have no hope at all but tell him sir she had shrunk away from him if you don t feel too hard to me to do it that i never was in any way the cause of his misfortune it has never been attributed to you i returned earnestly to her earnestness it was you if i don t deceive myself she said in a broken voice that came into the kitchen the night she took such pity on me was so gentle to me didn t shrink away from me like all the rest and gave me such kind help was it you sir it was said i of the i of david i have been in the long ago she said glancing at it with a terrible expression if any wrong to her had been upon my mind i never could have kept out of it a single winter s night if i had not been free of any share in that the cause of her flight is too well understood i said you ai e innocent 