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"Half-an-hour ago," he pursued, "I spoke of my impatience to hear

the sequel of a tale: on reflection, I find thethe narrator's part, and converting

you into a listener Before co, it is but fair to warn you

that the story will sound soain a degree of freshness when they pass through

new lips For the rest, whether trite or novel, it is short

"Twenty years ago, a poor curate--never mind his name at this

hter; she fell in love

with hiainst the advice of all her friends,

who consequently disowned her i Before

two years passed, the rash pair were both dead, and laid quietly

side by side under one slab (I have seen their grave; it for the gri town in -

shire) They left a daughter, which, at its very birth, Charity

received in her lap--cold as that of the snow-drift I alht Charity carried the friendless thing to the house

of its rich maternal relations; it was reared by an aunt-in-law,

called (I come to names now) Mrs Reed of Gateshead You start--did

you hear a noise? I daresay it is only a rat scra schoolroom: it was a barn before I had it

repaired and altered, and barns are generally haunted by rats--To

proceed Mrs Reed kept the orphan ten years: whether it was happy

or not with her, I cannot say, never having been told; but at the

end of that ti no

other than Lowood School, where you so long resided yourself It