rit, nerves better brac'd, and a more manly nature, that can face affliction without whimpering, do its business boldly, and wipe away the widow's tears with a fteady hand. What is it to me that a rogue is on his death-bed? he is a rogue no lefs; and I don't fee the charity of fending him out of the world with a lie of my telling, because the truth is unpleasant to him to hear. Blachford has been a tyrant and an oppreffor all his life long; he has not felt for others, neither does he now; his feelings are for himself, and if he has any compunction, his fears call it up; it is not voluntary repentance; 'tis the dread of death, the remorfe of a thief at the gallows."

Here Ezekiel fung forth in his best key."Let us not judge too harshly," cried Henry; "Heaven only knows the hearts of men: we will leave Blachford to his confcience, and turn our thoughts to a more interefting object. Have you any news of the Lady Crowbery?"-"Ah!" faid Ezekiel, "I fear there are dark doings in that quarter; fhe is a prifoner, and, which is worfe, fhe is fick and ill, and has been order'd to Lisbon, if her Lord will let her go thither."-Henry now, with much anxiety, queftioned Ezekiel as to

his authority for this intelligence, and found that the London furgeon, who attended Blachford, had been called in by Lord Crowbery, who could no longer fhut his eyes against the alarming fituation of his Lady, and this gentleman had pronounced a change of climate abfolutely neceffary, and recommended the air of Lisbon without delay.

The chief object of Sir Roger's vifit was thus anticipated, and though the news was painful in the extreme to Henry, yet he drew the confolation from it, of feeing the way smoothed for a peaceable conference between the parties. now met at the caftle; and it further opened to him a prospect of better opportunities for paying his attentions to his mother, when separated from her tyrant, and in a foreign country, whither he was determined to refort, and at the fame time difengage himself from the fnares of the too charming object, who had taken fuch hold of his heart.

CHAPTER XI.

An angry Altercation with a Perfon unknown leads our Hero into imminent Danger.

THESE pious and prudent refolutions of our hero for renouncing his abode at Manstock House, and following his mother to Lisbon, were not taken without a struggle; for all complaints on the part of Lord Crowbery were more effectually avoided by his remaining with Sir Roger, in the abfence of the Lady, than by his leaving him, to which it could not fail, but that fufpicious conjectures would be affixed. This was a staggering circumftance, and could hardly escape being ftated and oppofed to him by the hofpitable Baronet, nay, perhaps, by Ifabella herself, and of her powers of perfuafion, fhould fhe exert them on the occafion, he had full fenfe and conviction; neither was it abfolute defpair, from which he was preparing to retreat; there was no repelling sphere about the lovely perfon of Ifabella; on the contrary, all was attraction there, all was sweetness and fimiles; ftill, native honour, reverence for the feelings of a father, and a due sense of the young heiress's fuperior

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fuperior pretenfions, held him to his purpose ; but, above all other motives, devotion to a fuffering mother decided against all temptations.

Ezekiel had left him to these meditations, and was gone to the next door, hoping to find fome opportunity of making Blachford acquainted with Henry's forgiveness of his attempt against him. In the mean time a perfon entered the cottage, whom he recollected to be the finder of Lady Crowbery's ring: though he no longer prefented himself in the mean and humble dress he before appeared in, his countenance was pale and fickly, and his frame emaciated, yet there was fomething noble and impreffive in his air and deportment. After the ordinary falutations, he defired to know if there was any meffage or commiffion from Lady Crowbery. Henry informed him, that he had nothing of the fort in charge. This was heard with strong expreffions of furprize. Some fmall acknowledgment, he owned, he did expect for his honefty; what did fhe fay upon the delivery of it? She took it, and faid nothing, was the answer." Impoffible!" exclaim'd the disappointed stranger; " Lady Crowbery would not receive it in that stile; fuch indif

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ference

ference is totally out of character; it exceeds all credibility. Suffer me," he added, very feriously, "to defire you will be pleas'd to recollect yourself; any one word you can call to mind, as utter'd by her on that occafion, will be of moment to me; confult your memory, I befeech of you; perhaps it may have flipt you in the hurry of your thoughts; nay, it is poffible, being fo fmall an article, you may have forgotten to deliver it."-" How, Sir!" exclaimed Henry, fternly fixing his eyes upon him.--The man paid little regard to this angry interjection, but went on with his difcourse, obferving, that it was nothing extraordinary if the memory of a young man fhould fail him in a commiffion not very interefting.

" I stand in need of no apologies," replied our hero, " for defect of memory; I am clear in what I tell you, and having once afferted it, fhall repeat it no more, nor patiently fubmit, that any question should be made of my veracity."-" You talk loftily, young Sir," faid the stranger; " and before we proceed any further in this kind of altercation, it will be proper for me to clear up fome preliminary points between us, that may else involve you in a mistake you may repent of. Appearances,