WhatelsewasItodo？Iwaslefthelpless，withtheprospectofacomingincumbranceintheshapeofachild。WhatelsewasItodo？Castmyselfonthemercyofmyrunawayidiotofahusbandwhohadraisedthescandalagainstme？Iwouldhavediedfirst。Besides，theallowancewasahandsomeone。Ihadabetterincome，abetterhouseovermyhead，bettercarpetsonmyfloors，thanhalfthewomenwhoturnedupthewhitesoftheireyesatthesightofme。ThedressofVirtue，inourparts，wascottonprint。
Ihadsilk。
SoIacceptedtheconditionsheofferedme，andmadethebestofthem，andfoughtmybattlewithmyrespectableneighboursontheirownground，andwonitincourseoftime——asyousawyourself。HowIkepthisSecretandminethroughalltheyearsthathavepassedfromthattimetothis，andwhethermylatedaughter，Anne，everreallycreptintomyconfidence，andgotthekeepingoftheSecrettoo——arequestions，Idaresay，towhichyouarecurioustofindananswer。Well！mygratituderefusesyounothing。Iwillturntoafreshpageandgiveyoutheanswerimmediately。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]WomaninWhite：Chapter36[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter36Butyoumustexcuseonething——youmustexcusemybeginning，MrHartright，withanexpressionofsurpriseattheinterestwhichyouappeartohavefeltinmylatedaughter。Itisquiteunaccountabletome。Ifthatinterestmakesyouanxiousforanyparticularsofherearlylife，ImustreferyoutoMrsClements，whoknowsmoreofthesubjectthanIdo。PrayunderstandthatIdonotprofesstohavebeenatallover-fondofmylatedaughter。
Shewasaworrytomefromfirsttolast，withtheadditionaldisadvantageofbeingalwaysweakinthehead。Youlikecandour，andIhopethissatisfiesyou。