FROM my discourse with Mr. Lloyd，and from the above reported conference between Bessie and Abbot，I gathered enough of hope to suffice as a motive for wishing to get well: a change seemed near,- I desired and waited it in silence. It tarried，however: days and weeks passed: I had regained my normal state of health，but no new allusion was made to the subject over which I brooded. Mrs. Reed surveyed me at times with a severe eye，but seldom addressed me: since my illness，she had drawn a more marked line of separation than ever between me and her own children; appointing me a small closet to sleep in by myself，condemning me to take my meals alone，and pass all my time in the nursery，while my cousins were constantly in the drawing-room. Not a hint，however，did she drop about sending me to school: still I felt an instinctive certainty that she would not long endure me under the same roof w with my doll on my knee till the fire got low，glancing round occasionally to make sure that nothing worse than myself haunted the shadowy room; and when the embers sank to a dull red，I undressed hastily，tugging at knots and strings as I best might，and sought shelter from cold and darkness in my crib. To this crib I always took my doll; human beings must love something，and，in the dearth of worthier objects of affection，v?粥which had stirred my corruption before，he thought it better to desist，and ran from me uttering execrations，and vowing I had burst his nose. I had indeed levelled at that prominent feature as hard a blow as my knuckles could inflict; and when I saw that either that or my look daunted him，I had the greatest inclination to follow up my advantage to purpose; but he was already with his mama. I heard him in a blubbering tone mence the tale of how 'that nasty Jane Eyre' had flown at him like a mad cat: he was stopped rather harshly-

'Don't talk to me about her，John: I told you not to go near her; she is not worthy of notice; I do not choose that either you or your sisters should associate with her.'