I could see no change in them now.
"Yes," she said, "I'll make a clean breast of it."
"To my lady?" I asked.
"No."
"To Mr. Franklin?"
"Yes; to Mr. Franklin."
I hardly knew what to say to that. She was in no condition to understand
the caution against speaking to him in private, which Mr. Franklin had
directed me to give her. Feeling my way, little by little, I only told
her Mr. Franklin had gone out for a walk.
"It doesn't matter," she answered. "I shan't trouble Mr. Franklin,
to-day."
"Why not speak to my lady?" I said. "The way to relieve your mind is to
speak to the merciful and Christian mistress who has always been kind to
you."
She looked at me for a moment with a grave and steady attention, as if
she was fixing what I said in her mind. Then she took the broom out of
my hands and moved off with it slowly, a little way down the corridor.
"No," she said, going on with her sweeping, and speaking to herself; "I
know a better way of relieving my mind than that."
"What is it?"
"Please to let me go on with my work."
Penelope followed her, and offered to help her.
She answered, "No. I want to do my work.
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