owarm-chairononesideofthehearth,andherselftakinganother,shecalledmetoherside.

    “Isitallover?”sheasked,lookingdownatmyface.“Haveyoucriedyriefaway?”

    “IamafraidInevershalldothat.”

    “Why?”

    “BecauseIhavebeenwronglyaccused;andyou,ma’am,andeverybodyelse,willnowthinkmewicked.”

    “Weshallthinkyouwhatyouproveyourselftobe,mychild.tioactasagoodgirl,andyouwillsatisfyus.”

    “ShallI,MissTemple?”

    “Youwill,”saidshe,passingherarmroundme.“AndnowtellmewhoistheladywhomMr.Brocklehurstcalledyourberess?”

    “Mrs.Reed,myuncle’swife.Myuncleisdead,ametohercare.”

    “Didshenot,then,adoptyouofherownaccord?”

    “No,ma’am;shewassorrytohavetodoit:butmyuncle,asIhaveofteheservantssay,gothertopromisebeforehediedthatshewouldalwayskeepme.”

    “Wellnow,Jane,youknow,oratleastIwilltellyou,thatwhenacriminalisaccused,heisalwaysallowedtospeakinhisowndefence.Youhavebeenchargedwithfalsehood;defendyourselftomeaswellasyou.Saywhateveryourmemgestsistrue;butaddnothingandexaggeratenothing.”

    Iresolved,ihofmyheart,thatIwouldbemostmoderate—mostcorred,havingreflectedafewminutesiecoherentlywhatIhadtosay,Itoldherallthestoryofmysadchildhood.Exhaustedbyemotion,mylanguagewasmoresubduedthanitgenerallywaswhenitdevelopedthatsadtheme;andmindfulofHelen’swarningsagainsttheindulgenceofrese,Iiothenarrativefarlessofgallandwormwoodthanordinary.Thusrestrainedandsimplified,itsoundedmorecredible:IfeltasIwentonthatMissTemplefullybelievedme.

    InthecourseofthetaleIhadmentionedMr.