understand me if I say no more of this period of
my life. Let me pass to the new incident in my career which brought me
for the second time before the public notice in a court of law.

"Sad as my experience has been, it has not taught me to think ill
of human nature. I had found kind hearts to feel for me in my
former troubles; and I had friends--faithful, self-denying, generous
friends--among my sisters in adversity now. One of these poor women (she
has gone, I am glad to think, from the world that used her so hardly)
especially attracted my sympathies. She was the gentlest, the most
unselfish creature I have ever met with. We lived together like sisters.
More than once in the dark hours when the thought of self-destruction
comes to a desperate woman, the image of my poor devoted friend, left
to suffer alone, rose in my mind and restrained me. You will hardly
understand it, but even we had our happy days. When she or I had a few
shillings to spare, we used to offer one another little presents, and
enjoy our simple pleasure in giving and receiving as keenly as if we had
been the most reputable women living.

"One day I took my friend into a shop to buy her a ribbon--only a bow
for her dress. She was to choose it, and I was to pay for it, and it was
to be the prettiest ribbon that money could buy.

"The shop was full; we had to wait a little before we could be served.

"Next to me, as I stood at the counter with my companion, was a
gaudily-dressed woman, looking at some handkerchiefs. The handkerchiefs
were finely embroidered, but the smart lady was hard to please. She
tumbled them up disdainfully in a heap, and asked for other specimens
from the stock in the shop. The man, in clearing the handkerchiefs
out of the way, suddenly missed one. He was quite sure of it, from a
peculiarity in the embroidery which made the handkerchief especially
noticeable. I was poorly dressed, and I was close to the handkerchiefs.
After one look at me he shouted to the superintendent: 'Shut the door!
There is a thief in the shop!'

"The door was closed; the lost handkerchief was vainly sought for on
the counter and on the floor. A robbery had been committed; and I was
accused of being the thief.

"I will say nothing of what I felt--I will only tell you what happened.

"I was searched, and the handkerchief was discovered on me. The woman
who had stood next to me, on finding herself threatened with discovery,
had no doubt contrived to sl