"Well，Jane?" he said，as he rested his back against the school-room door，which he had shut.

"If you please，sir，I want leave of absence for a week or two."

"What to do?- where to go?"

"To see a sick lady who has sent for me."

"What sick lady?- where does she live?"

for people to see her that distance?"

"Her name is Reed sir- Mrs. Reed."

"Reed of Gateshead? There was a Reed of Gateshead，a magistrate."

"It is his widow，sir."

"And what have you to do with her? How do you know her?"

"Mr. Reed was my uncle- my mother"s brother."

"The deuce he was! You never told me that before: you always said you had no relations."

"None that would own me，sir. Mr. Reed is dead，and his wife cast me off."

"Why?"

"Because I was poor，and burdensome，and she disliked me."

"But Reed left children?- you must have cousins? Sir George Lynn was talking of a Reed of Gateshead yesterday，who，he said，was one of the veriest rascals on town; and Ingram was mentioning a Georgiana Reed of the same place，who was much admired for her beauty a season or two ago in London."

"John Reed is dead，too，sir: he ruined himself and half-ruined his family，and is supposed to have mitted suicide. The news so shocked his mother that it brought on an apoplectic attack."

"And what good can you do her? Nonsense，Jane! I would never think of running a hundred miles to see an old lady who will，perhaps，be dead before you reach her: besides，you say she cast you off."

"Yes，sir，but that is long ago; and when her circumstances were very different: I could not be easy to neglect her wishes now."