Charles Dickens writes to the Magistrate John Hardwick about a 'fallen woman', Susan Mayne. Hardwick had previously recommended Mayne as a suitable candidate to live in Urania Cottage, the home for 'fallen women' established by Dickens and Angela Burdett Coutts. Shortly after Susan Mayne's arrival, suspicions arose that she was pregnant. If her pregnancy were to be confirmed by the medical attendant, she would have to leave the home and go back to the jail from which Hardwick released her ...
