arecastinadifferentmouldtothemajority,itisofyours:Naturedidit.Andthen,afterall,Igotoofastinmyclusions:forwhatIyetknow,youmaybeertha;youmayhaveintolerabledefectstoterbalanceyoodpoints.”

    “Andsomayyou,”Ithought.Myeyemethisastheideacrossedmymind:heseemedtoreadtheglansweringasifitsimporthadbeenspokenaswellasimagined—

    “Yes,yes,yht,”saidhe;“Ihaveplentyoffaultsofmyown:Iknowit,andIdon’twishtopalliatethem,Iassureyou.GodwotIbetoosevereaboutothers;Ihaveapastexistence,aseriesofdeeds,acolouroflifetoplatewithinmyow,whichmightwellcallmysneersandsuresfrommyneighbourstomyself.Istarted,orrather(forlikeotherdefaulters,Iliketolayhalftheblameonillfortuneandadversecircumstances)wasthrustonttackattheageofone-and-twenty,andhaveneverrecoveredtherightcoursesiImighthavebeenverydifferent;Imighthavebeenasgoodasyou—wiser—almostasstainless.Ienvyyouyourpeaind,yoursce,yourunpollutedmemory.Littlegirl,amemorywithoutblotorinationmustbeanexquisitetreasure—aninexhaustiblesourceofpurerefreshment:isitnot?”

    “Howwasyourmemorywhenyhteen,sir?”

    “Allrightthen;limpid,salubrious:nogushofbilgewaterhadturofetidpuddle.Iwasyourequalateighteen—quiteyourequal.Naturemeaobe,onthewhole,agoodman,MissEyre;ohebetterkind,andyouseeIamnotso.Youwouldsayyoudo;atleastIflattermyselfIreadasmuyoureye(beware,by-the-bye,whatyouexpresswiththatan;Iamquickatinterpretingitslanguage).Thentakemywordforit,—Iamnotavillain:youarenottosupposethat—nottoattributetomeanysuchbademi,owing,Iverilybelieve,rathertocircumstahantomynatura