The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-23
m vour wicked and unhappy

alton. trying 10 tell her that IL 'H0e
was anything 10 forE.Ee II was iol
given long ago, ana nat a.""so
u3ys she had loved her mother. when
she did not KNOW Nti' eii' -"
she did.
When they became more quiet ana
cat holding each other, n Lazy
Uedlock had told her how nad
thought her child dead until recentiS'
Esther asked if her secret was 7-Ie,
and her mother told her that Il was
being held over her by the fanny
lawyer, Mr.. T~ulkinghorn.
They said farewell 10 each otnef.
| knowing that it must be farewell for
life. Esther watched her mother
through tears, watched her till. with
stately and proud footsteps, as ever,
Lady do disappeared III Chesney
Void. She knew with bitter grief
through what a dark and bitter
shadow those proud feet went; bur
/ she did not dream the dreadful road
that they were to go on soon.
That night Esther Summerson lay
awake q long, long while, heavily
sorrowful that she ever had been
born. burdened with the thought that
il would have been better and hap
pier for many people il she had died
at birth. But when she thought OF
her Guardian and of Ada, or
many others. she knew that this was
wrong; and before h cried herself
to sleep she was able to be humbiy
thankful for the change that illness
had made in her, SO that n never
could disgrace her mother ~henceforth
by any trace Of likeness.
She succeeded before many days in
turning her Did smile and manner to
the world. and when she returned to
Bleak House, where all declared they
had missed her sorely, she was the
old Dame burden again. However
heavily her secret lay on her heart,
none dreamed that anything burdened
her except John ~Jarndyce, to whom
she had told il under permission from
her mother. Even he could do moth
ing except to watch and wait. He
looked concerned and alarmed when
he heard about Mr.. T~ulkinghorn. and
said that he was a dangerous man.
It was on the evening that Esther
gave him her confidence and he light
ened her secret as Il told him CRATE
fully, by sharing it, that he told her
he had something thai he wished her
to answer and that he would write
it 10 her rather than ask her in
speech.
Her little maid Charley brought her
his letter next day.
Before she had read it through her
eyes were full of tears. It was SO i'm
pressive in its love for her, so unset
fish in cautionirg her to know her
own heart, that she could not read
much at q time. But she read it
through three times before she laid il
down. It asked her would she be the
mistress Of Bleak House?
She saw his face and heard his
voice n felt the influence Of his
simple, true nature in every line. 1t
! 966VauCnl ho- 90 : . <L,o;r -}coo- -x--.
reversed, and all the good deeds a
been hers. And he said that she must
nave ample time to consider and that,
IN any event. she would ever be his
bright Dame burden.
That he could love her as well
: when her old face was gone as in her
fairer days; that his generosity rose
above her inheritance OF shame: hat
: he had not asked his when she was
better looking, but asked it now
these things only showed her anew
MS fidelity. To devote her life to his
happiness was to thank him but
poorly. Proudly and lovingly she
. knew what her answer should be.
sun n cried very much, and not
only N the Y~ullness Of her heart
{ mere was something that she had TO
q put away forever before she could 20
! 70 John Jarndyce.
t She went to her desk and took nus
IA
a book. In 1t were some withered
y towers, They had been given TO her
G by u poor young surgeon, whom she
n ana her Guardian had met many
timss when they visited people whom
e John Jarndyce was helping Icstha,
hao thought, sometimes, thit ne loyed
her, ana that if he had been richer
a ne would have told her so. But he
i nao gone away-tO India-vithon1
e speaking, and there he had won
ionof IN q great crisis, and was now
Is returning home again. She took the
"1thered flowers from the book
pressed them to her lips, and ther
20 burned them at the candle. The1
q were dust IN an instant.
e She went downstairs next roroine
ana put her arms around John .Iarn.
dyces neck and kissed him. and s.if
,e this was her answer.
IS In all his happiness and joy ,Johr
Jarndyce still insisted hat She u,st
u i NOT 10 -,