One broken-down old scene-painter taught her to read and write, and another, a French artist, taught her the rudiments of French, and also to play on the violin.

'They all treated me as a plaything,' she once said to me, 'and poor as they were, they would bring me toys and sweets.

I think, nay, I am sure, that they were careful of their talk before me, but it was a strange life for a child.

Very often I could not see their faces for the cloud of tobacco smoke, and sometimes the atmosphere was so stifling that I preferred to sit outside on the cold dark landing.'" "Poor mite, what a life!" "Amias told me once that he should never forget the first time he saw her.

He was a mere lad himself of sixteen or seventeen, and a student in a life academy." "Some errand had brought him to Westbrook's lodgings.