What had been her own responsibility in the case?
She could not have foreseen all the horrors of that history; but she, too, could have prevented it.

The consciousness of this filled her with self-condemnation; yet she could not acknowledge herself to be on a level with Mr.Belcher.She was ready and anxious to right all the wrongs she had inflicted; he was bent on increasing and confirming them.
She cursed him in her heart for his Injustice and cruelty, and almost cursed herself.
But she dwelt most upon the future which the discoveries of the hour had rendered possible to herself.

She had found a way out of her hateful life.

She had found a lad who admired, loved, and trusted her, upon whom she could lavish her hungry affections--one, indeed, upon whom she had a right to lavish them.

The life which she had led from girlhood was like one of those deep canons in the far West, down which her beautiful boat had been gliding between impassable walls that gave her only here and there glimpses of the heaven above.