第6部分(第2/8 頁)

　would　always　be　so　pleasant　and　amiable；　and　never　push　me　about；　or　scold；　or　task　me　unreasonably；　as　she　was　too　often　wont　to　do。　Bessie　Lee　must；　I　think；　have　been　a　girl　of　good　natural　capacity；　for　she　was　smart　in　all　she　did；　and　had　a　remarkable　knack　of　narrative；　so；　at　least；　I　judge　from　the　impression　made　on　me　by　her　nursery　tales。　She　was　pretty　too；　if　my　recollections　of　her　face　and　person　are　correct。　I　remember　her　as　a　slim　young　woman；　with　black　hair；　dark　eyes；　very　nice　features；　and　good；　clear　plexion；　but　she　had　a　capricious　and　hasty　temper；　and　indifferent　ideas　of　principle　or　justice：　still；　such　as　she　was；　I　preferred　her　to　any　one　else　at　Gateshead　Hall。

It　was　the　fifteenth　of　January；　about　nine　o’clock　in　the　morning：　Bessie　was　gone　down　to　breakfast；　my　cousins　had　not　yet　been　summoned　to　their　mama；　Eliza　was　putting　on　her　bon　and　warm　garden…coat　to　go　and　feed　her　poultry；　an　occupation　of　which　she　was　fond：　and　not　less　so　of　selling　the　eggs　to　the　housekeeper　and　hoarding　up　the　money　she　thus　obtained。　She　had　a　turn　for　traffic；　and　a　marked　propensity　for　saving；　shown　not　only　in　the　vending　of　eggs　and　chickens；　but　also　in　driving　hard　bargains　with　the　gardener　about　flower…roots；　seeds；　and　slips　of　plants；　that　functionary　having　orders　from　Mrs。　Reed　to　buy　of　his　young　lady　all　the　products　of　her　parterre　she　wished　to　sell：　and　Eliza　would　have　sold　the　hair　off　her　head　if　she　could　have　made　a　hand