It was she who, contrary to the
advice of her elders, had insisted on bringing her into the house;
she had allowed temptation to be set in her way, and had not taken
sufficient pains to strengthen her principles; and how could she do
otherwise than feel guilty of all Esther's faults, and of those into
which she had led Adeline?
On Mr. Mohun's return Ada was interrogated. She pitied herself--said
she did not think papa would be angry--prevaricated--and tried to
coax away his inquiries, but all in vain; and at length, by slow
degrees, the confession was drawn from her that she had been used to
asking Esther for morsels of sweet things when she was sent to the
storeroom; that afterwards she had seen her packing up some tea and
sugar to take to her mother, and that Esther on that occasion, and
several others, purchased her silence by giving her a share of
pilfered sweetmeats. Telling her that he only spared her a very
severe punishment for the present, on account of her illness, Mr.
Mohun left her, and on his way downstairs met Phyllis.
'Phyl,' said he, 'did Esther ever give you sweet things out of the
storeroom?'
'Once, papa, when she had been putting out some currant jam, she
offered me what had been left in the spoon.
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