Abandoned to her mother and the rest of her family, she was more their companion than mine, and rather at their command than mistress of herself.

Their avarice was less ruinous than their advice was pernicious to her; in fact, if, on account of the love she had for me, added to her good natural disposition, she was not quite their slave, she was enough so to prevent in a great measure the effect of the good maxims I endeavored to instil into her, and, notwithstanding all my efforts, to prevent our being united.
Thus was it, that notwithstanding a sincere and reciprocal attachment, in which I had lavished all the tenderness of my heart, the void in that heart was never completely filled.

Children, by whom this effect should have been produced, were brought into the world, but these only made things worse.

I trembled at the thought of intrusting them to a family ill brought up, to be still worse educated.

The risk of the education of the foundling hospital was much less.