第 29 节
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She soon recovered; and fixing her eyes on Mrs。 Temple; cried〃You
know not; Madam; what you do; you know not whom you are relieving; or
you would curse me in the bitterness of your heart。 Come not near me;
Madam; I shall contaminate you。 I am the viper that stung your peace。 I
am the woman who turned the poor Charlotte out to perish in the street。
Heaven have mercy! I see her now;〃 continued she looking at Lucy; 〃such;
such was the fair bud of innocence that my vile arts blasted ere it was half
blown。 〃
It was in vain that Mr。 and Mrs。 Temple intreated her to be composed
and to take some refreshment。 She only drank half a glass of wine; and
then told them that she had been separated from her husband seven years;
the chief of which she had passed in riot; dissipation; and vice; till;
overtaken by poverty and sickness; she had been reduced to part with
every valuable; and thought only of ending her life in a prison; when a
benevolent friend paid her debts and released her; but that her illness
encreasing; she had no possible means of supporting herself; and her
friends were weary of relieving her。 〃I have fasted;〃 said she; 〃two days;
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CHARLOTTE TEMPLE
and last night lay my aching head on the cold pavement: indeed it was but
just that I should experience those miseries myself which I had unfeelingly
inflicted on others。〃
Greatly as Mr。 Temple had reason to detest Mrs。 Crayton; he could not
behold her in this distress without some emotions of pity。 He gave her
shelter that night beneath his hospitable roof; and the next day got her
admission into an hospital; where having lingered a few weeks; she died; a
striking example that vice; however prosperous in the beginning; in the
end leads only to misery and shame。
F I N I S。
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