I felt physically weak and broken down: but my worse ailment was an unutterable wretchedness of mind: a wretchedness which kept drawing from me silent tears; no sooner had I wiped one salt drop from my cheek than another followed. Yet, I thought, I ought to have been happy, for none of the Reeds were there, they were all gone out in the carriage with their mama. Abbot, too, was sewing in another room, and Bessie, as she moved hither and thither, putting away toys and arranging drawers, addressed to me every now and then a word of unwonted kindness.
Mi sentivo debole e affranta, ma la mia maggior sofferenza proveniva da un grande abbattimento di spirito, che mi strappava lagrime mute; appena ne aveva rasciugata una, un'altra mi scendeva sulle guancie; eppure avrei dovuto esser felice, perché nessuno dei Reed era in casa; erano tutti usciti in carrozza con la loro mamma; anche Abbot cuciva in un'altra stanza e Bessie, che andava e veniva per riordinare i cassetti, mi rivolgeva di tanto in tanto una parola straordinariamente dolce.