She would beat herself against the bars of her cage; and even should she be prevented from escaping by the motives and reasons which William Bolton had suggested, she would not the less regard her father and mother as wicked tyrants.
The mother understood that very well.

And she, though she was hard to all the world besides, had never been hard to her girl.

No tenderest female bosom that ever panted at injustice done to her offspring was more full than hers of pity, love, and desire.

To save her Hester from sin and suffering she would willingly lay down her life.

And she knew that in carrying out the scheme that had been proposed she must appear to her girl to be an enemy,--to be the bitterest of all enemies! I have seen a mother force open the convulsively closed jaws of her child in order that some agonising torture might be applied,--which, though agonising, would tend to save her sick infant's life.