Mrs Westenra has got the idea that sleep-walkers always go out on the roofs of houses and along the edges of cliffs. Then they suddenly wake up and fall with a despairing cry that echoes all over the place.

The poor woman is naturally worried about Lucy. She told me that her husband, Lucy's father, had the same habit. If he was not stopped, he used to get up in the night, dress himself and go out.

Lucy is to be married in the autumn. She is already planning her dresses and how her house will be arranged. I know how she feels, for I feel the same way, only Jonathan and I will start life very simply, and we shall have to try to make both ends meet.

Vocabulary:

Cliffs: Scenery you can fall far down from
Despairing: Giving up hope
Cry: Here it means 'shout'
Naturally: Of course
Make both ends meet: Make sure there is enough money