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第5章 化解

　　'I will, madam. Little girl, here is a book entitled the Child'sGuide; read it with prayer, especially that part containing "Anaddicted to falsehood and deceit."'

　　'What! out already?' said she. 'I see you are an early riser.' Iwent up to her, and was received with an affable kiss and shake of thehand.

　　'Miss Temple is very good and very clever; she is above the rest,because she knows far more than they do.'

　　'Nothing: I covered my face with the bedclothes, and turned fromher to the wall.'

　　'She is in Miss Temple's room,' said the nurse.

　　'That is my little boy,' said Bessie directly.

　　CHAPTER IV

　　Well might I dread, well might I dislike Mrs. Reed; for it washer nature to wound me cruelly; never was I happy in her presence;however carefully I obeyed, however strenuously I strove to pleaseher, my efforts were still repulsed and repaid by such sentences asthe above. Now, uttered before a stranger, the accusation cut me tothe heart; I dimly perceived that she was already obliterating hopefrom the new phase of existence which she destined me to enter; Ifelt, though I could not have expressed the feeling, that she wassowing aversion and unkindness along my future path; I saw myselftransformed under Mr. Brocklehurst's eye into an artful, noxiouschild, and what could I do to remedy the injury?

　　'I think not, sir.'