Here I obtained shelter for the night.

The next day he discovered me.

He made his vile proposals; he offered me the whole of his fortune; he declared his resolution, say what I might, to return the next day.

That night, by help of the good woman who had taken care of me--under cover of the darkness, as if _I_ had been to blame!--I was secretly removed to the East End of London, and placed under the charge of a trustworthy person who lived, in a very humble way, by letting lodgings.
"Here, in a little back garret at the top of the house, I was thrown again on the world--an age when it was doubly perilous for me to be left to my own resources to earn the bread I ate and the roof that covered me.
"I claim no credit to myself--young as I was, placed as I was between the easy life of Vice and the hard life of Virtue--for acting as I did.
The man simply horrified me: my natural impulse was to escape from him.
But let it be remembered, before I approach the saddest part of my sad story, that I was an innocent girl, and that I was at least not to blame.
"Forgive me for dwelling as I have done on my early years.

I shrink from speaking of the events that are still to come.
"In losing the esteem of my first benefactress, I had, in my friendless position, lost all hold on an honest life--except the one frail hold of needle-work.