My guardian continued to be a model of kindness and generosity. He regularly - and secretly - sent a small amount of money to Miss Flite after he had met her. And I was surprised when a thirteen-year-old orphan knocked at my door one day and introduced herself by saying, 'I am Charley, miss - your maid. I'm a gift to you, with Mr Jarndyce's love.'

We had met Charley and her younger brother and sister in London after their father had died, making them orphans. Charley went out to work every day and locked six-year-old Tom and baby Emma in their room. After a long day washing clothes for other people, she hurried home to take care of her little family. When Mr Jarndyce made Charley my maid, he sent Tom to school and put the baby in the care of a good family.

One afternoon Charley came to me and asked, 'Miss, do you know a poor person named Jenny?'

'I know a brick-maker's wife by that name,' I answered.

'She came and spoke to me when I was near the doctor's practice.'

'Is she ill?' I asked.

'No, miss, she's looking after a poor boy from London. He helped her once when she needed some medicine, and now he's very ill and she wants to help him. He doesn't have a home and there's no mother or father.'

I could read Charley's thoughts and we were quickly out of the door. At Jenny's house we found the poor boy sitting in a corner, shaking and unable to get warm; a strange, unhealthy smell came from him.

I had not yet lifted my veil, and the boy looked up, clearly frightened. 'I won't take you to that place again. Let Mr Nemo rest in peace.'

'Jo, Jo, what's the matter?' asked Jenny. 'These are friends. They've come to help you. I'm sorry, miss, he's crazy sometimes.'

'She looks like the other one,' Jo said when I lifted my veil. 'She has the face, but a different coat and hat.'

Charley talked to the boy and he calmed down. He was very, very ill, but Jenny could not keep him in her house. She knew that her husband would hit her and throw the boy out if he found him there.

'We will take him with us and try to get some help for him,' I told Jenny.

'Leave me here,' said Jo. 'I can get warm beside the bricks.'

'But people die here,' explained Charley. 'You come with us.'