young mistress did. "Good Heavens! Fanny," she heard her say, as she closed the door, "how can you think of countenancing that horrid woman?" whilst she shrunk away, as the poor girl passed her, as if she feared to be polluted by the contact of her skirt.
The most earnest desire Susan had, after she had been dismissed from Miss Wentworth, was to go over to the house that had been the scene of the catastrophe, and inspect every part of it herself. But after Mr. Wentworth's body had been removed, which was at the close of the first day's inquest, the house was shut up, and the gate that led to it locked; and when she hinted her wish to Mr. Jeremy, he advised her to say nothing about it as he was sure it would not be complied with.
Exhausted with fatigue and grief, poor Susan forgot her troubles for some hours in a refreshing sleep; but early in the morning she arose to prepare for her melancholy journey to Oakfield. When she was dressed, finding no one was yet stirring in the house, she opened her window and sat down near it to think over her projects for the future. Immediately beneath the window was a pump, to which with the early dawn came the housewives of the village to
E2
