第5部分(第4/8 頁)

ast…room；　and　led　the　way　out。　In　the　interview　which　followed　between　him　and　Mrs。　Reed；　I　presume；　from　after…occurrences；　that　the　apothecary　ventured　to　remend　my　being　sent　to　school；　and　the　remendation　was　no　doubt　readily　enough　adopted；　for　as　Abbot　said；　in　discussing　the　subject　with　Bessie　when　both　sat　sewing　in　the　nursery　one　night；　after　I　was　in　bed；　and；　as　they　thought；　asleep；　“Missis　was；　she　dared　say；　glad　enough　to　get　rid　of　such　a　tiresome；　ill…　conditioned　child；　who　always　looked　as　if　she　were　watching　everybody；　and　scheming　plots　underhand。”　Abbot；　I　think；　gave　me　credit　for　being　a　sort　of　infantine　Guy　Fawkes。

On　that　same　occasion　I　learned；　for　the　first　time；　from　Miss　Abbot’s　munications　to　Bessie；　that　my　father　had　been　a　poor　clergyman；　that　my　mother　had　married　him　against　the　wishes　of　her　friends；　who　considered　the　match　beneath　her；　that　my　grandfather　Reed　was　so　irritated　at　her　disobedience；　he　cut　her　off　without　a　shilling；　that　after　my　mother　and　father　had　been　married　a　year；　the　latter　caught　the　typhus　fever　while　visiting　among　the　poor　of　a　large　manufacturing　town　where　his　curacy　was　situated；　and　where　that　disease　was　then　prevalent：　that　my　mother　took　the　infection　from　him；　and　both　died　within　a　month　of　each　other。

Bessie；　when　she　heard　this　narrative；　sighed　and　said；　“Poor　Miss　Jane　is　to　be　pitied；　too；　Abbot。”

“Yes；”　responded　Abbot；　“if　she　were　a　nice；　pretty　child；　one　might　pass