and
his wife called, according to promise, to take me to their home, it
required two coaches, and well loaded, to take all the luggage; a third
conveyed Monsieur and Madame Gironac, myself, and the jewel-case. I
found a very cheerful room prepared for me, and I had the pleasant
feeling, as we sat down to our small dinner, that I had a home.

Madame Gironac was indefatigable in her exertions, and soon disposed of
all the laces and wardrobe that I had decided upon parting with, and I
paid the sum that they realised, viz., 310 pounds, into the banker's.
The disposal of the jewels was a more difficult affair, but they were
valued by a friend of Monsieur Gironac's, who had once been in the
trade, at 630 pounds. After many attempts to dispose of them more
favourably, I succeeded in obtaining for them the sum of 570 pounds.

Mr Selwyn had called upon me once or twice, and I had received my
legacy with interest; deducting the legacy duty of 50 pounds, it came to
458 pounds. I had, therefore, the following sums in all: 230 pounds of
my savings; 310 pounds for the wardrobe and laces, 570 pounds for the
jewels, and 458 pounds for the legacy, amounting in all to 1568 pounds.
Who would have imagined three months before, that I should ever have
possessed such a sum? I did not, certainly.

Mr Selwyn, as soon as he knew what sum I had to dispose of, viz., 1500
pounds, for I had retained the 68 pounds for my expenses, procured me a
mortgage at five per cent, on excellent landed security; and thus did
the poor forlorn Valerie possess an income of 75 pounds per annum.

As soon as this was all arranged, I felt a tranquillity I had not known
before. I was now independent. I could work, it is true, if I felt
inclined, and had an opportunity. I could, however, do without work.
The Gironacs, finding that I insisted upon paying for my board, and
knowing that I could now afford it, agreed to receive forty pounds per
annum--more they would not listen to. Oh! what a balm to the feelings
is the consciousness of independence, especially to one who had been
treated as I had been. There were two situations to which I had taken a
violent abhorrence--that of a governess, and now that of a milliner; and
I thanked Heaven that I was no longer under any fear of being driven
into either of those unfortunate employments. For the first month that
I remained with the Gironacs, I absolutely did nothing but enjoy my
emancipation; after that, I began