Page:The Praises of Amida, 1907.djvu/110

 badly years before. The sight was a terrible shock to him: he could only sit helplessly staring at her during the whole time that the cross-examination was going on, and it was thus that he learned what had been the poor girl's history since his base desertion of her. Poor Cassia, who had been left enceinte, had lost the esteem of Nehrodoff's aunt, had been driven from the house, and had taken refuge in the family of a police-officer as maid of all work. From this house she had run away, because she was unable to stand her new Master's cruel treatment. Then had come the hour of her confinement, which was miserable and wretched enough: a babe was born, but soon died,—and after that the poor girl went from bad to worse, without home or resting-place, the sport and contempt of men, until, having drunk the cup of affliction, to its dregs, she ended up with a seven years bondage as a common prostitute. At the end of that time it happened that a certain merchant committed suicide in the house of ill-fame in which Cassia lived, and as