work. My  went into  for this one brother of 
mine. It seemed so certain that he would deteriorate under such 
influence, and, as he would not write, he was already lost to me. 

Some months before I first came on board the " Curlew," he 
had first met with the woman who was to cast her dark wordnetfear 
over his future life. He was weak and could not resist, and yet 
he was obstinate and would not give others a chance of saving 
him by keeping him out of her way. 

I felt Tom's utter loss very keenly, but I struggled against 
 as well as I could, and I had Valentine's letters to help 
me, for Valentine was improving fast, and now, as was his due, 
my  began to turn to him with affectionate dependence ; he 
had made himself important to me; he was taking  to wordnetanger 
himself for the important duties of life, and he let me take to 
myself the  of thinking that I was doing him good, that 
the motives I set before him were not without their effect, and 
that, under my influence, he was growing more manly, more 
steady, and more serious. 

St. George did not reach England till the June after Mr. Mor- 
timer's death, and I