thing in human shape again, than hear of another Livia. And how could aunt be so barbarous as not to give you leave to justify yourselves?"
"So far from it, sir," replied Camilla, "my aunt would by no means suffer such wicked creatures, as she now believed us, to remain under the same roof with her. Thus were we abandoned and destitute of all means of support; for we had but one guinea in the world; and Livia took care to make the story that we were run from home, that we might have a better opportunity to carry on our intrigues, fly like lightning through all our relations and acquaintance. So that, although we tried to speak to several of them, it was in vain, no one would admit us, except one old maiden cousin, who, instead of doing anything for our relief, said all the ill-natured things (on the report she had heard of us) the utmost malice could think of. She had always been very circumspect in her own conduct, and was rather a devotee than otherwise; and I verily believe she was glad of an opportunity to vent her own spleen, while she was silly enough to imagine she was exerting herself in the cause of virtue.
"We knew not which way to turn ourselves; but, as we happened to be tolerably dressed, we thought we might possibly be admitted into a lodging where we were not known: we happened on that very house, sir, where you found us, and took that little floor you afterwards had; but what to do for money to pay for it, or to keep us, we could not imagine. While we were in this unhappy situation, poor Valentine fell into a violent fever; this misfortune made me almost distracted: what to do to support him I could not tell; and to see him want what was necessary for him was what I could not bear. Drove by this necessity, and urged on by my eager desire to serve my brother, I took a resolution of trying whether I could raise compassion enough in any
