"But it was always in her," was the reply. "I"ve told Missis often my opinion about the child，and Missis agreed with me. She"s an underhand little thing: I never saw a girl of her age with so much cover."

Bessie answered not; but ere long，addressing me，she said- "You ought to be aware，Miss，that you are under obligations to Mrs. Reed: she keeps you: if she were to turn you off，you would have to go to the poorhouse."

I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: my very first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind.

This reproach of my dependence had bee a vague sing-song in my ear: very painful and crushing，but only half intelligible. Miss Abbot joined in-

"And you ought not to think yourself on an equality with the Misses Reed and Master Reed，because Missis kindly allows you to be brought up with them. They will have a great deal of money，and you will have none: it is your place to be humble，and to try to make yourself agreeable to them."

"What we tell you is for your good," added Bessie，in no harsh voice; "you should try to be useful and pleasant，then，perhaps，you would have a home here; but if you bee passionate and rude，Missis will send you away，I am sure."

"Besides," said Miss Abbot，"God will punish her: He might strike her dead in the midst of her tantrums，and then where would she go? e，Bessie，we will leave her: I wouldn"t have her heart for anything. Say your prayers，Miss Eyre，when you are by yourself; for if you don"t repent，something bad might be permitted to e down the chimney and fetch you away."

They went，shutting the door，and locking it behind them. The red-room was a square chamber，very seldom slept in，I might say never，indeed，unless when a chance influx of visitors at Gateshead Hall rendered it necessary to turn to account all the acmodation it contained: yet it was one of the largest and stateliest chambers in the mansion. A bed supported on massive pillars of mahogany，hung with curtains of deep red damask，stood out like a tabernacle in the centre; the two large windows，with their blinds always drawn down，were half shrouded in festoons and falls of similar drapery; the carpet was red; the table at the foot of the bed was covered with a crimson cloth; the walls were a soft fawn colour with a blush of pink in it; the wardrobe，the toilet-table，the chairs were of darkly polished old mahogany. Out of these deep surrounding shades rose high，and glared white，the piled-up mattresses and pillows of the bed，spread with a snowy Marseilles counterpane. Scarcely less prominent was an ample cushioned easy-chair near the head of the bed，also white，with a footstool before it; and looking，as I thought，like a pale throne.