ever expect to turn my thoughts towards expiating a crime
which scarcely awakens in me the smallest remorse? I tell you again--and
I feel what I say--that I seem acting under some irresistible influence,
against which I have long and fruitlessly struggled. I was brought up
for evil, and, alone, friendless, and powerless to resist, I yield to my
destiny. What matters it whether that destiny be accomplished by honest
or dishonest means? Yet Heaven knows my thoughts and intentions were
ever pure and upright; and I felt the greater satisfaction in the
possession of an unsullied reputation, from recollection of all the
attempts that had been made to lead me to a life of infamy; and mine has
been a course of infinite difficulty while seeking to free myself from
the odious wretches who wished to degrade me, and render me as vile as
themselves.

"But what avails my having been a person of unblemished honour and
unspotted reputation? What am I now? Oh, dreadful, dreadful contrast!"
exclaimed the unhappy prisoner, in an agony of tears and sobs, which
drew a plenteous shower of sympathising drops from the tender-hearted
grisette, who, guided by her natural right-mindedness, her woman's wit,
as well as warmed by her deep affection for Germain, clearly perceived
that, although as yet her protege had lost none of the scrupulous
notions of honour and probity he had ever entertained, yet that he spoke
truly when he expressed his dread that the day might come when he would
behold with guilty indifference those words and actions he now shuddered
even to think of.

Drying her eyes, therefore, and addressing Germain, who was still
leaning his forehead against the grating, she said, in a voice and
manner more touchingly serious than Germain had ever before observed:

"Listen to me, Germain! I shall not, perhaps, be able to express myself
as I could wish, for I am not a good speaker like you, but what I do say
is uttered in all sincerity and truth; but first I must tell you you
have no right to call yourself alone and friendless."

"Oh, think not I can ever forget all your generous compassion has
induced you to do to serve me!"

"Just now, when you used the word pity, I did not interrupt you; but now
that you repeat the word, or at least one quite as bad, I must tell you
quite plainly that I feel neither pity nor compassion for you, but quite
a different--Stay, I will try and explain myself as well as I can. While
we were next-door neig