Jemima, to have her light extinguished by the savage female who supplied
her place. She was even obliged to prepare for bed, restless as she was,
not to disoblige her new attendant. She had been cautioned not to speak
too freely to her; but the caution was needless, her countenance would
still more emphatically have made her shrink back. Such was the ferocity
of manner, conspicuous in every word and gesture of this hag, that Maria
was afraid to enquire, why Jemima, who had faithfully promised to see
her before her door was shut for the night, came not?--and, when the key
turned in the lock, to consign her to a night of suspence, she felt a
degree of anguish which the circumstances scarcely justified.

Continually on the watch, the shutting of a door, or the sound of a
foot-step, made her start and tremble with apprehension, something like
what she felt, when, at her entrance, dragged along the gallery, she
began to doubt whether she were not surrounded by demons?

Fatigued by an endless rotation of thought and wild alarms, she looked
like a spectre, when Jemima entered in the morning; especially as her
eyes darted out of her head, to read in Jemima's countenance, almost
as pallid, the intelligence she dared not trust her tongue to demand.
Jemima put down the tea-things, and appeared very busy in arranging the
table. Maria took up a cup with trembling hand, then forcibly recovering
her fortitude, and restraining the convulsive movement which agitated
the muscles of her mouth, she said, "Spare yourself the pain of
preparing me for your information, I adjure you!--My child is dead!"
Jemima solemnly answered, "Yes;" with a look expressive of compassion
and angry emotions. "Leave me," added Maria, making a fresh effort to
govern her feelings, and hiding her face in her handkerchief, to conceal
her anguish--"It is enough--I know that my babe is no more--I will hear
the particulars when I am"--calmer, she could not utter; and Jemima,