received no answer: she therefore imagined that her conduct had either
entirely alienated their affection from her, or broken their hearts, and
she must never more hope to receive their blessing.

Never did any human being wish for death with greater fervency or
with juster cause; yet she had too just a sense of the duties of the
Christian religion to attempt to put a period to her own existence. "I
have but to be patient a little longer," she would cry, "and nature,
fatigued and fainting, will throw off this heavy load of mortality, and
I shall be released from all my sufferings."

It was one cold stormy day in the latter end of December, as Charlotte
sat by a handful of fire, the low state of her finances not allowing her
to replenish her stock of fuel, and prudence teaching her to be careful
of what she had, when she was surprised by the entrance of a farmer's
wife, who, without much ceremony, seated herself, and began this curious
harangue.

"I'm come to see if as how you can pay your rent, because as how we hear
Captain Montable is gone away, and it's fifty to one if he b'ant killed
afore he comes back again; an then, Miss, or Ma'am, or whatever you may
be, as I was saying to my husband, where are we to look for our money."

This was a stroke altogether unexpected by Charlotte: she knew so little
of the ways of the world that she had never bestowed a thought on the
payment for the rent of the house; she knew indeed that she owed a
good deal, but this was never reckoned among the others: she was
thunder-struck; she hardly knew what answer to make, yet it was
absolutely necessary that she should say something; and judging of the
gentleness of every female disposition by her own, she thought the best