I hope you will not di&longs;appoint me, Madam,
&longs;aid a young woman to an old fat dame, who kept a
Regi&longs;ter Office for hiring of &longs;ervants—I had entered
the hou&longs;e by means of my ring.

The young woman was &longs;omething below the middle
&longs;ize, her countenance was dejected, and &longs;he appeared
not to be u&longs;ed to &longs;ervitude.

You had better &longs;it down and re&longs;t your&longs;elf, my
dear, &longs;aid the old woman.

I will, if you plea&longs;e, replied the other; for it is a
long walk from Lambeth.

She entered a little parlour, and &longs;at down; when
I learnt from their conver&longs;ation that the young woman,
whom I &longs;hall henceforth call Mariana, was applying
for a place as governe&longs;s to one or two young
ladies, and was promi&longs;ed by the woman who kept
the office that &longs;he &longs;hould be recommended to Lady
Allworth, who wanted a governe&longs;s for her two
daughters.

It is now &longs;ix weeks, &longs;aid Mariana, &longs;ince I was
fir&longs;t propo&longs;ed to Lady Allworth, and I &longs;hould be glad
to know whether &longs;he will have me or no, for my circumstances
are &longs;uch as render it ab&longs;olutely nece&longs;&longs;ary
that I &longs;hould have &longs;ome place in a &longs;hort time—To-morrow,
Mrs. L—y, I hope you will go with me.

The old woman promi&longs;ed faithfully to attend her,
and at ten o'clock the next morning was appointed
for her to call.

Then to-morrow I will &longs;ee thee again, poor, gentle
Mariana, &longs;aid I.

[figure description] Page 110.[end figure description]

I was by no means plea&longs;ed with the woman who
kept the office; for while Mariana was re&longs;ting herself,
two young men of fa&longs;hion came into the room.

I blu&longs;h to think, that their being young men of
fa&longs;hion rendered me unea&longs;y on the poor girl's account.

There were &longs;ome very intelligent looks pa&longs;&longs;ed between
them and the old woman; and immediately
on their leaving the room Mariana was invited to
dine the en&longs;uing day.

At ten, the next day, Mariana again repaired to
the office, and was again di&longs;appointed of waiting on
Lady Allworth.

I know not what to do, &longs;aid &longs;he, as &longs;he left the
hou&longs;e; and a tear &longs;tole down her cheek—She had
refu&longs;ed the invitation to dinner, and was proceeding
with melancholy &longs;teps towards her home—I followed
her.

When &longs;he entered the hou&longs;e &longs;he was wet, cold,
and hungry; but there was neither fire nor refreshment.

She &longs;at down at the end of a long table, and leaning
her head upon her hands, the tears flowed plenteously
down her pale face—&longs;he looked the picture of
dumb de&longs;pair.

I was thinking of &longs;ome method to relieve her,
when a &longs;hort, fat old gentleman entered the room.

I read in your face, Mariana, &longs;aid he, that you
have had no &longs;ucce&longs;s to-day.—

She &longs;hook her head, and a&longs;ked his advice how to
proceed.

I would advi&longs;e you to go to Lady Allworth yourself—
write a letter, &longs;end it up, and wait for an answer
from her lady&longs;hip.

Mariana wiped her eyes, wrote a letter, and then
proceeded to mea&longs;ure back the weary &longs;teps &longs;he had
trod before.

[figure description] Page 111.[end figure description]

Poor girl! &longs;aid I, as I followed her, I &longs;hould like
to know how you were reduced to this &longs;ituation;
but I will not leave you till I &longs;ee you are likely to
get &longs;ome &longs;ettlement—Youth and innocence without
friends or money, in &longs;uch a place as London, mu&longs;t
have a hard &longs;truggle to keep free from vice; and
will find it impo&longs;&longs;ible to keep free from cen&longs;ure.

I wi&longs;h Lady Allworth may be as much prepossessed
in your favour as I am—but perhaps &longs;he will
not &longs;ee you; and &longs;hould &longs;he not, you &longs;hall not be
lo&longs;t for want of a friend.

I do verily believe, that during our walk from
Lambeth to St. James's Street, I was almo&longs;t as much
agitated as Mariana her&longs;elf.

She tapped mode&longs;tly at the door; but I could &longs;ee
it was humiliating to her.

A &longs;ervant appeared, and &longs;he was in&longs;tantly admitted—

Will you deliver this to Lady Allworth? &longs;aid &longs;he,
pre&longs;enting the letter.

The &longs;ervant looked at her with compa&longs;&longs;ion—I
thus tran&longs;lated his looks: this poor girl is come to
entreat a favour of my Lady; I will not be the
means of her not obtaining it; I wi&longs;h &longs;he may meet
with &longs;ucce&longs;s.

Sir James Allworth, &longs;aid I, is a benevolent man:
he never &longs;uffers a petitioner to be treated with rudeness
or di&longs;re&longs;pect: I can read his humanity in the
countenance of his dome&longs;tic.

I had hardly time for the reflection before Mariand
was de&longs;ired to walk up &longs;tairs—I perceived that
&longs;he trembled as &longs;he a&longs;cended; but had her fears been
ever &longs;o great, they mu&longs;t all have vani&longs;hed at the &longs;ight
of Lady Allworth.

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