in mind, that I have not taken my lovers from the inanimate groups that form the circle of fashion, but fought them in the sequestered walks of rural life, where the fenfes are not deadened by variety, nor indifference become habitual by the affectation of it.

CHAPTER II.

A Letter Spares a Blufb.

HEN Henry entered the cottage, and found it cleared of it's inhabitants, who had joined the crowd that was collected about the wounded body of the juftice, his heart palpitated with eager, yet anxious, curiosity, as he unfolded the interefting pacquet which Lady Crowbery had given him, and therein read as follows:

"Nature forces from me the important fecret, my heart can no longer fupprefs it's ftruggles: I am your mother. A victim to love, before reafon or experience had "armed me against that dangerous paffion, I yielded to a fatal propofal of escaping with my lover to Scotland from my father, who inexorably oppofed our marriage. Made defperate by that cruel interdiction, we set

out upon our rafh adventure; were closely "pursued, and, in the last stage of our jour"ney, overtaken. When we found ourfelves

cut off from any further progrefs, defpair "feized us, but it was the defpair of lovers, "refolute to facrifice every thing rather than "their fidelity and plighted faith.

"In this forlorn and hopeless moment, "love, importunity, the interchange of mu"tual vows and promises, and, above all, the "vifionary hope that fo we might compel

my father to unite us, tempted us to feal our « contract without the ceremony that was "needful to confirm and fanctify it.

"I own the rafhnefs of the deed, nor aim to palliate it's culpability; I proftrated myself "at my father's feet, confeffed my weakness, implored his pity and forgiveness, and, in "an agony of grief, befought him to confent

to join our hands, and fave me from the "fhame and misery that would elfe befall me. " "Twas in vain; we were torn afunder; a "noble youth, unexceptionable in birth and "character, the younger fon of the Lord "Pendennis, was difcarded; he went upon his "adventures to India; I remained difconfo"late, and in ignorance of his fate, till in the

" course

"courfe of time I was, in fecrecy, delivered

❝ of a fon.

"That fon you are: Henry Delapoer, if " he lives, is your father.

"For the love of heaven keep this fecret "buried from the world, till--but I can no more; the meltings of a mother's heart for"bid the reft."

The mystery thus revealed, Henry awhile ftood fixt in dumb furprize; the firft emotions of his heart burst into unpremeditated prayer and pious thanks to God. Clafping the paper in his hands, with bended knees and eyes uplifted, in the fervour of his foul, he broke forth" I thank thee, Father of all mercies, that thou haft now vouchfäfed to take thy humble creature out of darkness into light, conducting me through various chances by thy all-gracious providence, and giving me at length to know what nature languished for in vain, the mystery of my birth. And, O my God, though I were born in guilt, yet fanctify me; though the child of disobedience, with my whole heart I'll ferve thee; fo fhall I gain in heaven what I have forfeited on earth, a name and an inheritance."

CHAPTER

CHAPTER III.

Some Folks are no nice Difcerners of Times and

Seafons.

A Few minutes only had paffed, whilft

Henry was endeavouring to compose his

agitated fpirits, when behold! Ezekiel, followed by the women, returned to the cottage, full fraught with texts of holy writ applicable to the fcene he had been present at, and which he was fo impatient to discharge, that how to find room for them all, and what order to bring them out in, feemed to be the only thing that puzzled him; and though the hour was drawing towards bed-time, preach he must, and Henry muft hear him, though any other perfon but Ezekiel could not have failed to notice the diftraction of his thoughts; but times and feafons never were a part of that good man's ftudies, neither was he one who thought there could be too much of a good thing; and the best of all poffible things, in his opinion, was his own preaching.

"The wicked is trapped in his own fnare," quoth Ezekiel; "this is one of the proverbs of Solomon, and Solomon, my children, was a wife

a wife man, the wifeft man in all the world, every school-boy can tell you that: he was king of Ifrael; it is not all kings are as wife as Solomon; put down all they ever faid in a book of proverbs, and one chapter, nay one fingle fentence of his fhall be worth them all; and he fpake three thoufand proverbs, his fongs were a thoufand and five; he could entertain the Queen of Sheba with fomething worth her notice, when fhe came to prove him with hard questions; I cannot tell you where Sheba was, I wish I could, but I know it was fomewhere in the fouth, and that the travell'd out of a far country to hear his wifdom; now you can hear it and not move out of your chairs, and yet you cry out 'tis bed-time, yet a little fleep, a little flumber, a little folding of the hands to fleep. A terrible judgment hath lighted on this wicked Blachford, the cry of the widow is gone up against him, the perfecutor of the innocent man hath fallen by the hand of his own accomplice: If they fay, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without caufe, behold they lay wait for their own blood, they lurk privily for their own lives."

Scarce had Ezekiel brought this fentence to a close,