Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Business Law - Essay Example Such offer of Smunt signifies a legal commitment on his part, a proposal which he has extended to Roginsky, which assumes eventual acceptance on the part of Roginsky. For an offer to be considered as accepted, â€Å"a valid act of acceptance must be made by the offeree† (Gillies 149). This was further clarified in the case of Carlill v. Carbolic Smoke Ball Co., (1893) 1 QB 256. â€Å"The first requisite of a contract is that both parties have reached an agreement. The three essential requisites of to the creation of a contract are: agreement, contractual intention and consideration† (Oughton and Davis 21). Here, all the essential requisites are present. Therefore, there was a valid contract entered by both parties, giving rise to the cause of action by Roginsky against Smunt for breach of contract. â€Å"An offer may be revoked before such offer is accepted by the offeree. If it is revoked after a valid acceptance has already taken place on the part of the offeree, suc h revocation is ineffective for the contract has already been perfected before the purported act of revocation (Gillies 150).† The revocation must also be communicated â€Å"directly or indirectly to the offeree to make a valid revocation. If revocation is sent through mail, the revocation shall not take effect unless it is received by the other party† (Gillies 150). ... fferee rejects the offer through a letter, but before such letter indicating rejection is received by the offeror, a second letter is sent indicating the acceptance of the offer, and the second letter is received first. In this instance, the mailbox rule is disregarded† (Ryan 43). On the other hand, the modern view is set forth in the â€Å"Restatement (Second) of Contracts and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) rejects the mailbox rule. Under UCC 2-206, acceptance may be made in a reasonable manner unless the offer limits the manner of acceptance in a particular means† (Ryan 45). 2. As a general rule, employment contracts preferably should be in writing and signed by both parties, the employer and the employee. â€Å"Under the Statute of Frauds, a purely oral contract can be voided if there if it cannot be possibly be performed in one year† (Harper 60). The rationale behind this requisite is â€Å"to reduce frauds by requiring that certain contracts be in writing and signed by the party alleged to be in default. Absence of the written form makes the contract unenforceable† (Harper 60). However, there are exceptions to the rule, â€Å"where an executive has performed all the duties he has contracted for but has not been paid. If this exception would not be made, the Statute of Frauds will defeat its purpose and would operate to facilitate, rather than prevent fraud, since the unscrupulous employer could rely on it to refuse payment, after having benefitted from the work performed in good faith by an executive† (Harper 60). In this case, Wombat relied on the oral employment contract with Tony’s Toy Company and quit his job, sold his house and moved his family to another state for the new job, only to find out after one month that he is being terminated for the position.

Movies and cultural influences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Movies and cultural influences - Essay Example With the sudden urbanization on a large scale, the ordinary factory workers in the city became psychologically isolated, though they were in the midst of a huge mass of urban population. This situation was further aggravated by the arrival and assimilation of a large number of immigrants, most of whom were not English speaking, and from a different cultural background. With time and money at their disposal due to the rising affluence, the urban workers needed to find avenues for entertainment. They still could not afford to attend entertainment shows such as music performances, theater plays etc. The invention of the moving picture towards the end of the nineteenth century, suited this demand perfectly. This amazing novelty captured the imagination of the common man. This medium had several advantages over other forms of entertainment. It was cheap. It could be copied, transported, and staged simultaneously at several places. Initial silent movies had no language barrier, and hence had a universal appeal. The earlier movie producers, mostly jews, Italian or greek immigrants who could not get in the mainstream industrial workforce, but were nonetheless hungry for success, utilized these advantages to attract a huge audiences and make maximum profits. Nickelodeon theaters, with shabby seating arrangements inside, and crude and gaudy posters outside, sprang up throughout the cities and even countryside. Some owners included vulgar and objectionable content in their movie shows. The dark environment inside the theatre was also found to foster unsocial and immoral activities. Cul tural traditionalists saw, in this movement, a potential to corrupt the minds of the young generation and a threat to the moral society. This commercial amusement activity was directly in contrast to playgrounds, libraries, school recreation centers, church sponsored recreation, which were considered to be the conserving moral agencies of a respectable society. Large scale criticism of the uncontrolled commercialism, as regards to movies, ultimately led to stricter theater regulations and even a temporary closure of all the movie houses in New York in 1908.Susequently, the movie men fought and won legal battles with the administration against this action, but with a clear message, that some form of regulation was needed. The first comprehensive law in the United States, regulating movie theaters was enacted in 1913, banning objectionable content such as vaudeville acts, enforcing the provision of better amenities inside the theaters etc. Movies and advertisement: The success of the industrial revolution, which started around the middle of the nineteenth century, was a collective result of several factors acting simultaneously in a complementary manner. The practical application of technological innovations, like telephony and telegraphy, effective use of electricity development of transport systems, and development of mechanized assembly lines greatly helped the economic growth of the American society as a whole. This further fueled the demand, not only for technology based products by the industries, but also for consumer based products and services by the masses. The Cycle of demand and growth prompted the manufacturers towards large scale production of goods. At the same time, these manufacturers had to compete with each other for maximizing their market share in the fully

Quantification of Chicken Egg White Albumin

Quantification of Chicken Egg White Albumin Standard curve Preparation for Quantification of Chicken Egg white albumin using Bradford assay Quantifying protein concentration is a very significant process for analyzing protein. It is essential in order to identify, characterize, and purify proteins, and this can also be use in medical researches by aiding in diagnosis of certain diseases. There are several of methods that can be use for protein quantification. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. One of which is the Bradford assay, which is commonly used because of its simplicity, wide estimated working range, and sensitivity to molecules of interest. Chicken egg white albumin was used as a protein source. Different concentrations of albumin were prepared and their respective absorbances at 595nm were obtained. This assay uses Coomassie Blue G-250 dye that forms a complex with certain amino acids. A standard curve was created from the raw data of absorbance reading. From the Pearson’s Rho correlation, it was shown that the absorbance and concentration has a strong positive relationship. The chemical react ions involve in this assay was also analyzed and understood. INTRODUCTION Proteins are very important in an organism for growth and preservation. Before analyzing a protein, it requires to determine the quantity of proteins present. The result of this will be useful in characterization and purification of proteins, in identification and in diagnosis of diseases, since some illnesses affect the level of proteins. There are different methods in order to quantify protein concentration. It is important for an assay to be able to be applied to a wide range of concentrations. It would also be good for the assay to be sensitive enough to detect even the smallest protein content in order to have an accurate result. The assay should also be specific to the component that is to be quantified. This is to avoid contaminants to be detected, such as cell components, macromolecules like carbohydrates, nucleic acid and lipids. There are different methods on quantifying proteins. One of which is the Non-colorimetric procedures. This includes determination of nitrogen deriv ed from proteins, analysis of amino acids, and find out of dry matter material of protein. The one that is common in this modern time is the Colorimetric methods of quantitation. This is because of the technological advancements available like usage of spectophotometers (Ninfa et al., 2009) In biuret assay, cupric (Cu2+) ions are being reduced to cuprous (Cu1+) ions by the proteins. This cuprous ions forms a complex with the peptide bonds yielding a blue colored complex. This assay requires high concentration of proteins since it is quite insensitive (Dennison, 2003). Lowry assay starts with a protein-copper complex just like the product in the Biuret assay. In Lowry assay it is then followed by the reduction of Folin–Ciocalteu reagent under alakaline conditions. Cuprous ions are the ones involve in the process of reduction, resulting to a intense blue color. Lowry assay is more sensitive unlike the biuret assay; however, since it’s very sensitive, it can detect other components that are not of interest just like detergents (Dennison, 2003). BCA Assay is the same as the Lowry assay, but bichoninic acid (BCA) is the one being reduced by the protein instead of Folin–Ciocalteu reagent. BCA assay is sensitive but not to other contaminants. It is more sensitive to carbohydrates, lipids and other substances (Dennison, 2003). Bradford assay, which is the most commonly used colorimetric method, uses Coomassie Blue G-250 dye. This dye forms a noncovalent bond with proteins primarily basic amino acids (arginine, lysine and histidine). This complex results to a blue form in color. This assay is sensitive, accurate and can be done quickly (Redmile-Gordon et al., 2012). The source of protein for this experiment is the chicken egg white albumin. Studies consisting of iron-chelation, protease inhibition, immunoregulation, etc. uses chicken egg white albumin as well. Purification of the albumin is very much needed before doing any experimental procedure with the protein (Geng et al., 2012). In fact the albumin is consisting of 385 amino acid residue (Alleoni, 2006). In determining the protein concentration, it is very important to make a standard curve in every assay perfumed. Pearson’s Rho correlation is used to verify the linear relationship between the two variables involve in this experiment, absorbance and albumin concentration (Statstutor, n.d.). This study aims to verify how the concentration of proteins can affect the absorbance of the sample. It is also to make a standard curve for Chicken egg albumin and to know the Pearson’s Rho Correlation. It is also very important to understand the processes involved with protein quantification. This experiment also makes one to be extra careful with the laboratory procedures so that accurate data can be obtained. In a higher concentration, there are more particles involved, and so when a UV light strikes, more particles will be able to absorb it and higher absorbance value will be obtained. MATERIALS AND METHODS Before anything else, the UV/VIS Spectrophotometer was turned on before starting the procedures in order for the machine to warm up and function properly this avoids interfering with the data reading. Enough amounts of Chicken egg white albumin 10mg/mL, Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) pH 7.4, and Bradford reagent were obtained in a beaker from the reagent bottle. The beaker which contained the Bradford reagent was covered with paper since the the reagent is very light sensitive and might affect the data. With the use of micropipettors, albumin, phosphate buffered solution and Bradford reagent with known concentrations were transferred to six different microfuge tubes respectively. The concentrations of the reagents were the following: Table 1: Volume of stock solutions for the preparation of different albumin concentrations Standard no. Bradford Reagent (ul) Phosphate Buffered Saline (ul) Chicken Egg White Albumin (ul) Concentration (ug/ul) Blank 500 500 0 1 500 420 80 0.8 2 500 340 160 1.6 3 500 260 240 2.4 4 500 180 320 3.2 5 500 100 400 4 The solutions were vortex one at a time for 10 seconds. It settled for 10 minutes. After that, the solutions were again vortex for 5 seconds. Then the solutions from the microfuge tubes were transferred to the cuvettes individually. The cuvette was not touched on the flat side panel. The cuvettes were gently placed in the spectreophotometer. The absorbance of each concentration was read at 595 nm. The procedures were done for two trials. The standard curve and determination of Pearson’s Rho correlation were made from the raw data of absorbance readings. RESULTS Table 2: Series of known concentrations of Albumin Standard no. Bradford Reagent (ul) Phosphate Buffered Saline (ul) Chicken Egg White Albumin (ul) Concentration (ug/ul) Blank 500 500 0 1 500 420 80 0.8 2 500 340 160 1.6 3 500 260 240 2.4 4 500 180 320 3.2 5 500 100 400 4 From the volume of the stock solutions, different concentrations of albumin were made. The albumin concentration of the standards ranges from 0.0- 4.0 ug/ul and have an increment of 0.8. Table 2: Pearson’s Rho Correlation of the Absorbance readings at 595nm and Albumin Concentrations Trial 1; (b) Trial 2; (c) Mean absorbance of the two trials A. Standard no. Concentration (ug/ul) Trial 1 (A) Blank 0.0000 0.0000 1 0.8000 0.7170 2 1.6000 0.6750 3 2.4000 0.3790 4 3.2000 0.7190 5 4.0000 0.8640 Pearsons r Correlation 0.679886127 B. Standard no. Concentration (ug/ul) Trial 2 (A) Blank 0.0000 0.0000 1 0.8000 0.0510 2 1.6000 0.5480 3 2.4000 0.7740 4 3.2000 0.7990 5 4.0000 0.4250 Pearsons r Correlation 0.710839544 C. Standard no. Concentration (ug/ul) Mean absorbance (A) Blank 0.0000 0.00 1 0.8000 0.3840 2 1.6000 0.6115 3 2.4000 0.5765 4 3.2000 0.7590 5 4.0000 0.6445 Pearsons r Correlation 0.84783844 The absorbance value of the five albumin concentrations were measured twice. With regards to the Pearson’s Rho Correlation of each, Trial 1 shows that the Albumin concentration and Absorbance at 595nm has a strong positive relationship. While trial 2 and the mean of the two trials show that the two variables exhibit a very strong positive relationship. Figure 1: Trial 1 Absorbance at 595nm vs. Concentration of Albumin (ug/ul) In trial 1, the Peason’s Rho Correlation value is 0.679886127 showing a strong positive relationship between the two variables. From the absorbance value of the standard no.1, there is a decrease in the absorbance in standard no.2 and standard. No.3. Then a sudden increase in absorbance in standard no.4 and standard no.5. And also from the line equation, the slope has a positive value giving an upward direction and a direct correlation between absorbance and concentration of the albumin. Figure 2: Trial 2 Absorbance at 595nm vs. Concentration of Albumin (ug/ul) Trial 2 shows a very strong positive correlation between the two variables since the value of the Pearson’s Rho Correlation value is 0.710839544. Standard no.1 until Standard no.4 shows that the absorbance at 595nm is increasing with the albumin concentration. But for standard no.5, the absorbance of 4.00 ug/ul Albumin went down very quickly. Based on the line equation of the best fit line of this graph, the slope has a positive value giving an upward direction and a direct correlation between absorbance and concentration of the albumin. Figure 3: Mean Absorbance of the two trials at 595nm vs. Concentration of Albumin (ug/ul) The mean values of the absorbance at 595nm for the two trials were obtained and graph. The mean absorbance and albumin concentration shows a strong positive correlation, having a Pearson’s Rho correlation of 0.84783844. The graph shows that there are two outliers, standard no. 3 and standard no.4. A direct correlation between mean absorbance and concentration of the albumin is also shown based on the slope of the line equation. DISCUSSION Bradford assay utilize Coomassie Blue G-250 dye that forms a complex with the basic amino acids and thus having a blue form in color as the outcome (Redmile-Gordon et al., 2012). The concentration of the chicken egg white albumin ranges from 0.0 ug/ul, which is the blank , up to 4.0 ug/ul. This shows an increasing concentration of the albumin, and to have an accurate data, there is 0.8 so that the gap between the concentrations is equal. With this, the absorbance at 595nm can be compared to see the relationship between the two variables. In Pearson’s Rho Correlation, the closer the value to 1 or -1, the strong is the linear correlation for the two variables (Statstutor, n.d). In trial 1, the Pearson’s Rho Correlation value is 0.679886127, and since the value ranges from +.40 to +.69, the Albumin concentration and absorbance value has a strong positive. The graph shows that the absorbance readings are not consistent. Standard no.2 and standard no.3 shows a sudden decrease. The Pearson’s Rho Correlation value for trial 2 is 0.710839544. This shows that the relationship between the two variables is a strong positive relationship. This is because for a correlation to be strongly positive, the value must be +.70 or higher. For this trial, standard no.5 is the outlier. For the mean of the two trials, it could be seen that Standard no.3 and Standard no.5 are the outliers (Fig 3), although there is a strong positive relationship between the two variables based on its Pearson’s Rho Correlation value, 0.84783844. One reason for having a result with outliers is that the solutions containing chicken egg white albumin, phosphate saline buffer and Bradford reagent were already exposed to light even before it was placed in the spectrophotometer. The particles already absorbed an amount of light that’s why the light they absorbed in the spectrophotometer became less than expected. Temperature can also affect the Bradford assay. Since the temperature of the environment of the solution may vary throughout the experiment, like the temperature of the hands holding the cuvettes, the place where the solutions were settled, inside the cabinet, it might experience a change in temperature that affected the data. Lowering the temperature can increase the absorbance and vice versa (Steinke Shepherd, 1992). The basic and aromatic amino acids are the interest of the Bradford assay (Dennison, 2003). Some other amino acids present in the protein may not be detected by the assay. Different assay for protei n quantitation have own advantages and disadvantages that why there is no a standard assay. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Bradford assay for standard curve preparation is very suitable for this experiment since its easy to perform and at the same time good data were gathered. However, it would be better if at least two different assays were performed in order to verify the standard curve for the chicken egg white albumin and to further understand how the other assay works. Ensuring the consistent temperature in the working place can improve the outliers in the absorbance reading. And lastly being extra careful on the solutions being not exposed to light and any contaminants may improve the data. To conclude, this experiment verifies the positive relationship between absorbance and correlation base on the Pearson’s r correlation, since positive value denotes positive linear correlation.The slope from the linear equation for the two trials and the mean also shows a positive one indicating a correlation between the two variables involve. LITERATURE CITED Alleoni, A. Albumen protein and functional properties of gelation and foaming. Science  Agricola[Internet]. 2006 [cited 2014 January 20];3(3). Available from  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-90162006000300013 Dennison, C. 2003. A guide to protein isolation [Internet]. The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 2003 [cited 2014 January 20]. Available from: http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=SuXi2WtHnwQCdq=lowry+assaysource=gbs_navlinks_s. Also available in paper copy from the publisher. Doss, D., Sumrall III, W., McElreath D., Jones D. 2013. Economic and financial analysis forcriminaljustice organizations [Internet]. Florida: CRC Press; 2013 [cited 2014 January 20]. Available from: http://faculty.quinnipiac.edu/libarts/polsci/statistics.html. Also available in paper copy from the publisher. Geng, F., Huang, Q., Wu, X., Ren, G., Shan, Y., Jin, G., Ma, M. Co-purification of chicken egg white proteins using polyethylene glycol precipitation and anion-exchange chromatography. Separation and Purification Technology [Internet]. 2012. [cited 2014 January 20];96:75-80. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2012.05.021 Oyong, G. 2012. Basic and advanced techniques in cell and molecular biology. Experiment 1, Standard  curve preparation for determining protein content.URCO. Redmile-Gordon, M., Armenise, E., White, R., Hirsch, P., Goulding, K. A comparison of two  colorimetricassays, based upon Lowry and Bradfordtechniques, to estimate total protein in soil extracts. Soil Biology Biochemistry [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2014 January 20];67(100):166-173. Available from: doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.08.017 Statstutor [Internet]. Pearson’s correlation. [cited 2014 January 20]. Available from  http://www.statstutor.ac.uk/resources/uploaded/pearsons.pdf Steinke J., Shepherd A. Effects of temperature on optical absorbance spectra of oxy-, carboxy-, and deoxyhemoglobin. Clinical Chemistry [Internet]. 1992 [cited 2014 January 20];38(7):1360-1364. Available from: http://www.clinchem.org/content/38/7/1360.long Ninfa, A., Ballou, D., Benore, M. 2009. Fundamental laboratory approaches for biochemistry and  biotechnology [Internet]. New Jersey: Wiley; 2009 [cited 2014 January 20].Available from:http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=k6_XQwAACAAJdq=fundamental+lab ratory+appoaches+for+biochemistry+and+biotechnologyhl=ensa=Xei=ajbdU uxo2tB7jTgEAved=0CC4Q6AEwAA. Also available in paper copy from the publisher.

The Constitutionality of the Patriot Act Essay -- Patriot Act vs US Co

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Americans fear that another attack is imminent. To ease these fears, lawmakers created the USA Patriot Act which stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. This lengthy bill allows the justice department a great deal of power in criminal cases especially in those dealing with terrorism. While, according to lawmakers, the Patriot Act is aimed at ending terrorism, it is arguable that the Patriot Act is aimed at beginning a Big Brother-type society. For the government of the United States to enforce a law that encourages the obstruction of the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments and other civil liberties is highly hypocritical and quite un-American. The documentary Unconstitutional, directed by Nonny de la Pena, follows the evolution of the Patriot Act with interviews from senators who passed the bill, lawyers fighting the bill, and residents of the United States who have come under attack because of the bill. One of the positive points of the act that many like to point out was the bi-partisan support it had. However, former Representative Robert Barr, a republican from Georgia, and Representative Peter A. DeFazio, a democrat from Oregon, both claim that the act was very different from the one that was voted on. The night before the bill was to be voted on it was changed last minute and printed at 3:45 am that morning. The new bill included provisions that had already been denied on the floor. ï ¿ ½No member of Congress read this legislation before us voting on it,ï ¿ ½ says DeFazio (Unconstitutional). Lawmakers passed a bill that they had not read and now the public is paying for it. A childrenï ¿ ½s educational mag... ...http://galileo.usg.edu>. Losely, Lauren E. ï ¿ ½Universities Express Concern About the USA Patriot Act.ï ¿ ½ Academe Sep/Oct 2004: 4. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOHost. GALILEO. Odum Lib., Valdosta State University, GA. 10 April 2005 . ï ¿ ½Patriot Act Overview.ï ¿ ½ Congressional Digest Nov. 2004:258-88. ï ¿ ½Patriot Games.ï ¿ ½ Current Events 17 October 2003. Ridge, Tom. ï ¿ ½Using the PATRIOT Act to Fight Terrorism.ï ¿ ½ Congressional Digest Nov. 2004: 266-68. Sekhon,Vijay. ï ¿ ½The Civil Rights of ï ¿ ½Othersï ¿ ½: Antiterrorism, The Patriot Act, and Arab and South Asian American Rights in Post-9/11 American Society.ï ¿ ½ Texas Forum on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 8.1 (2003): 117-148. Unconstitutional. Dir. Nonny de la Pena. Public Interest Pictures, 2004. Zeljak, Cathy. ï ¿ ½The USA Patriot Act and Civil Liberties (Part II).ï ¿ ½ Problems of Post-Communism 51.3 (2004): 69-71.

Field And Historical Reseacrch: Individual Reflection Essay

There reaches a stage in the life of an individual whereby choices and decisions concerning what must be done are decided and it is usually not an easy task. The answer is only achieved through an in-depth look within themselves. Reflection of the most important values and what they perceive will make them happy as well enabling them to achieve self actualization are also decided. The available resources that are required to fulfill their goals and ambitions must be put into consideration. In this paper, I am going to reflect the processes that Blackburn undergone through learning, the perceptions that she got towards other people, how she shaped her personality to fit the research environment, the values that she attached to different activities and the values of other people. The effective analysis of all factors that made her the person she is today is the only way she can be able to explain the principles that shapes her behavior and also the cause of her changed intentions. According to the statement in question, the processes that an individual undergoes require critical examination of all the factors that are involved in the area under research. The researcher is required to participate fully, in body and soul, in the activity that is being researched. Learning should be a continuous activity since the researcher must be in a position to provide detailed descriptions of all variables throughout the study. The things that Blackburn learned in her researches shows what a researcher is learning during the field study and enables him/her to tackle future experiences and possible opportunities with a lot of ease. The experience gained impacts hugely on the perception that the researcher has towards others, brings changes in their personal character and other held values and attitudes. The positive or negative encounters with individuals from the field of research shows that human beings can learn new things from each other and every individual posses a unique thinking capability and each one will approach a problem from different perspective. Therefore, it becomes easy to ascertain that human beings are always learning the forming and reforming processes and that elements in their personal systems keep changing. The most important thing individuals need to know is to be open-minded when approaching quite complex tasks. They should be judgmental before factoring all important aspects of the problem under research. The brain should always be trained to think and provide solutions. A review of similar past problems and the measures that were taken can help in the improvement of current field researches through a carefully chosen research design (Ferreira and Merchant, 1992, p 19). In conclusion, it is always not easy task to establish the most suitable learning criteria in circumstances where the path to success consists of many ups and downs. Conflicting ideas on the way to carry out experiments that will bring desired results using a specified approach can not be easily avoided. We should always accept failure because it shows us the approach of executing complex tasks. The thinking capacity of an individual should always be utilized to the maximum capacity to ensure that the right decisions are made. Researchers should not only concentrate on the subject matter but their concentration should be centered on how they can improve the value of the subject matter. Things are always changing and so should the long held principles.

Hallowed Ground – Creative Writing

One damp morning in the spring of 1951, an elderly woman sat in her drawing room, and stared out of the Edwardian window, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. The velvet green curtains fluttered slightly against a draft. This is her place of rest, were she chose to lead the rest of her life peacefully. She gazed into her garden. Her drawing room was vacant when compared with the beauty of nature. The walls were lined with great masterpieces, her tables decorated with beautiful and rare Ming vases. She sat upright against the silk tapestry cushions of the chair. She loved the outdoors, and always felt uncomfortable with the four walls enclosing her, no matter how beautifully they were decorated. She always adored her garden, the white and pink roses in her numerous and perfectly arranged, symmetrical beds. The garden had limestone stairs, and she peered out of the window, down the grey-white steps, to a garden that stretched to the horizon. The grass was a pure deep green. And in the centre, a pond, stretching horizontally from one end of the garden to the other, the only means of crossing was an old bridge of pale wood with small engravings of dragons lining its railings. She watched the golden red carp glitter in the soft morning sun under the water's surface. Her garden shone with pink and white blossoms. The flowers, at this time of year were mainly spring pansies, daffodils and bluebells, dripping with morning dew. The rose bushes stretched all the way across the left side of the brick wall, ruining its foundations. She remembered old age, spreading through her body like the flower, ruining her strength. Her once able body was frail. Time was running out: the hourglass had tipped. She leant forward to the man across the table, sipping his tea and waiting patiently for a reply. She felt his harsh gaze in her eyes. â€Å"So, Miss Amanda Daley†, he began, â€Å"are you considering ever using our services again, perhaps writing another book or novel? I hope you know, and of course you do, being a lady of worth, that our services are at the best of prices and of the highest quality.† His words remained unanswered, and she carried on staring out of the window. His pinstripe suit and unmarked suede shoes were intimidating, and clearly he was a wealthy man, ignorant to suffering. She was uncomfortable in his company, and like a small child, looked at the floor. And yet, she hated silence, the social void, representing her lack of communal knowledge, and gossip could spread about her past. She sat with her back erect, causing her pain. And yet, she felt that etiquette overcame physical pain, as her father had always taught her. Her back throbbed. She was indifferent to her publication anyhow, since she grew increasingly ill, relief succumbed to etiquette. Her back relaxed. And, as she suspected, she felt a kind of paternal betrayal. Finally, she brought herself to mutter a few words, â€Å"Yes, thank you, I know. I shall send a telegram when necessary. My book will be finished in about three weeks. Come to collect the papers when I call.† She led him to the front door, where he stepped into his automobile. ‘Being a lady of worth'- these words irritated her, span around in her head, but she kept calm and showed no discontent. His car vanished through the drive, and she saw no point in waving him off. She had work to do. She was to begin her story. She sat in the drawing room, asked the maid to fetch her a blanket and hot tea, and sat at the oak table near another window. She stared at her aged hands and wrinkled face in the reflection of her silver teapot, each line representing a time in her life, and she also noticed her hollow eyes. The blue veins emerged on her fingers, as if her condition had just appeared overnight. But alas, this was not so. They did not just emerge, but the veins remained; no medicine could possibly cure it. She had simply not cared before. There were more important things to handle previously; age was a meagre aspect amongst her losses. She sat back, and allowed the painful memories to enter her mind. (2) Her mother, whom she adored with all her heart, would tell her stories when she sat up in bed, and listened with the same intent, even though the stories were often alike. Once her mother had left, and she had said her prayer, she looked out of her window to the star-studded sky, against the black sheet of infinity, and rested against it, was the chalky moon. She shut her eyes. At sunrise, she saw her father leaving the house, as usual. He shut the door with the same pessimism. His job was tedious, though he was too arrogant with false masculinity to ever admit it. He was well educated, well dressed, well paid and an owner of a leading company. He paid for servants to look after her family, even though her mother saw it as an intrusion of privacy. The house was situated on the edge of the sea cliffs, and the path following down to the ocean was lined with jagged rocks, sharp enough to cut. An hour later she tore her shoe on the steep path when walking down to the bay. As she stared deep into the horizon, she wondered what was beyond it. The sea lapped at her bare feet and she felt a slight spiritual familiarity with her surroundings, an eternal bonding of the vast and treacherous sea with her small, trusting heart. The sea sang into her ears, the wind caressed her skin and the sea appeared to be studded with thousands of diamonds against a turquoise backdrop. The sun blazed and her skin shone pink. She returned to a silent house. â€Å"Mother†, she called, looking uncertain, bracing herself. A splutter came from upstairs, and the servants were nowhere to be seen. She saw her mother coming down the stairs. The reply was not as dire as she had expected or it was and she simply did not understand. â€Å"Annabella†, her mother said. She spoke in a quiet tone, one that would have been soothing if it were not for the overwhelming fear that she could sense in her mother's eyes and expression. â€Å"Your father has been injured at his factory. Now, I don't expect you to understand this but we are treading on thin ice. We may be in slight financial trouble, but there is no reason to worry.† But there was. Annabella could sense it. What was a pretty Victorian house was now wrought with depression. Annabella stopped walking down the beach, and fell asleep in tears. The month later, she was roused by Victoria, her maid, and was told to dress. She met her mother at the breakfast table. Her beautiful green eyes were now veiled with tears, her curled blonde hair was now matted and greasy. She managed to force out the words, but Annabella knew exactly what she was about to hear. The house was silent again, no coughing, no cries and no shouts. She whimpered and tensed herself. All she heard was, â€Å"He's gone.† No sounds from her father, no reminders of the infected wound. She did not cry. She was grieving ever since he was hurt, and she knew it. Her father had died after a wild fever and her family suffered in horrible grief, his death believed to have been caused by the infected wound. Once she understood the cruel consequences of her father's death; a growing anger came over her, like a flame on oil. â€Å"Why has he left us?† she asked herself. â€Å"He had not taken any care; no money was ever left except for the pittance that remained after debts and taxes. There was no longer any financial help. He left my mother in hysterical tears, a sorry and disconcerting spectacle to their children.† (3) Even though it was many years since her father's funeral, she remembered the light oak coffin in which her father's body rested comfortably against a white silk tapestry. She remembered the echoing aisle sounds of shoes against the limestone floor, her silent mother and wailing brother, still young and too small to understand. During the final stages of his life, he had grown incredibly weak and thin. Two dark pits surrounded his eyes and the red and brown liquid seeping from his mouth. Her mother was always kneeling at his bedside with a damp cloth in order to calm the fever. The injury in his chest had become infected, and his whole chest was swollen, and his temperature soared. He often vomited. He cried during the night and woke up the house. Her mother never allowed servants to look after him, and she stayed by him, feeling that it was her responsibility. The memories of her father stayed with Annabella for the rest of her life, traumatising her, and yet provided her with an inner strength and understanding of the temporality of life. Unable to hold her pen any longer Annabella sat back, shut her eyes and waited till she had the enthusiasm to start the next chapter. The book, rather than being a release of the emotional torments, became a burden of pain.