For ten miserable years she suffered her martyrdom; she lived through it, dear angel, sweet suffering soul, for my sake.

At her death, my father was able to gratify his hatred of the son whom he had never believed to be his own child.

Under pretence of preferring the foreign system of teaching, he sent me to a school in France.

My education having been so far completed, I was next transferred to a German University.

Never again did I see the place of my birth, never did I get a letter from home, until the family lawyer wrote from Trimley Deen, requesting me to assume possession of my house and lands, under the entail.
I should not even have known that my father had taken a second wife but for some friend (or enemy)--I never discovered the person--who sent me a newspaper containing an announcement of the marriage.
When we saw each other for the first time, my stepmother and I met necessarily as strangers.