The girl's life had been squandered in the streets, and among the most noisome of the stews and dens of London, but there was something of the woman's original nature left in her still; and when she heard a light step approaching the door opposite to that by which she had entered, and thought of the wide contrast which the small room would in another moment contain, she felt burdened with the sense of her own deep shame: and shrunk as though she could scarcely bear the presence of her with whom she had sought this interview.

Summary

This quote highlights the contrasting experiences of the girl in the story. Despite her past filled with hardship and a life spent on the streets and in disreputable places, there remains a glimmer of her innate character. When she anticipates the arrival of someone who represents a different world from her own, she becomes overwhelmed by a sense of shame. This highlights the girl's awareness of the stark difference between her current circumstances and the more respectable world she is about to enter, and her discomfort in encountering someone who embodies that contrast.

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