her phrenfy. Henry ftood motionless, confounded, the very ftatue of defpair and horror. "I am undone !" cried Fanny, "Ifabella has difcovered us; fhe has the eyes of a lynx, and nothing now remains to fave me from difgrace and ruin, but boldly to join hands this moment, and defy the world."-" Mifs Claypole," faid Henry, "I hold myself in honour bound to make you every reparation that you can require; I only wish you to confider, if the mode you point at is not defperate in the extreme: I am but what I am, and that is, nothing; in this houfe I will not pass another day; worlds would not tempt me to encounter the chafte eyes of that offended lady; before you make fo rafh a facrifice, therefore, recollect it is only to appearances you would make it, and that your confcience does not plead to facts, thank Heaven!"--" Thank Heaven for what?" fhe eagerly demanded; "not for the interruption that her jealoufy occafion'd; not for the shock that fhe has given to my tortur'd nerves: it is not that I blush at what has pafs'd, or any thing that might have pass'd, but only that he knows it. No, Henry, when I took you in my arms, I bound my heart to you by vows as facred as if pledg'd before the altar; favours favours beftow'd on you I never can regret; they are fanctify'd by honour; they are endearments fnatch'd by opportunity from the cold lingering forms of law; the overflowings of a heart that doats upon you, whose pride it is to give you proofs of boundless confidence: -Here is my hand; take it, Henry, and with it take a husband's right in all that this fond heart and devoted perfon can beftow; we do but borrow a few hours from time.” "Not fo," cried Henry, ftepping back; not in this tumult of your mind will I avail myself of an extorted facrifice, and take your hand. I do moft refolutely bar the agreement till the event is feen. Mark what Mifs Manstock does; our fate is in her hands alone; if by her means (which I am flow to fufpect) the story gets abroad, and that your fame requires it, I fhall be at hand; and here I folemnly engage my honour to come forth upon your fummons, whether it be to confute falfhood and exaggeration at the risk of my perfon, or to repair your injuries by marriage, if this you shall require; and from this promife no temptation, be it what it may, fhall make me fwerve." With these words he departed, leaving her to bewail her disappointment, and murmur out reproaches N 6 reproaches for his coldness, amidst tears, and fighs, and fleepless toffings in a solitary bed. As for his mind, it felt a ftab in every thought; one fatal lapfe had funk him in his own efteem; and in the promise he had made to Fanny, every hope that could afpire to Ifabella was for ever buried. Not daring to enquire the cause of her alarm, he conjectured that it must have been created by the ftorm, and faw, with some degree of confolation, that it now was paft. Captain Cary was to return to his fhip by the very first of the morning, and had kept his chaife and post-horses waiting for that purpose; and as immediate retreat from Manstock Houfe was Henry's fixt refolve, the opportunity was fair for taking him and his baggage off at once, before the family was ftirring. Their road fortunately laid through Crowbery, which was fomething more than half way; it was poffible, therefore, that Cary's time might allow of a fhort call at Ezekiel's or Zachary's houfe, where fome information might be gained of Lady Crowbery's deftination, and if that should turn out to be for Lifbon, all was fo far well, if his new friend would ftand to his offer of transporting him thither. It was neceffary, however, to take a proper leave leave of Sir Roger; and for this purpose he immediately wrote the following letter, addreffed to that worthy perfonage: « Sir, "Impreffed with a fenfe of your favours, which "no time can obliterate, I beg leave to inform you, that I have embraced Captain Cary's "kind offer of a cruize, and hope you will "confider it with your ufual candour, both as "an excufe for the abruptnefs of my departure, " and a pardonable ambition to attach myself, though at humble diftance, to the fortunes of "fo brave a commander. A Vifitor appears at Manftock House, who brings Intelligence of an unexpected Sort. THO HOUGH Cary's chaife was ordered to the door by break of day, yet fuch of the domeftics as had notice of it were ready wait ing ing to make tender of their fervices and fare. wels at his departure; to one of these Henry delivered his letter for Sir Roger, and from the fame perfon he had the fatisfaction to hear that Isabella's alarm, which proceeded from the fudden burst of one of her window fhutters, fhivered by a stroke of lightning, had paffed off without any further ill confequences; but what was his furprife when he found himself accosted by his friend Susan May at this early hour, who drew him afide, and in a whisper eagerly demanded-" What in the name of madness can poffefs you to be running away from your good fortune at the very moment when my lovely mistress is dropping into your arms? Oh! if you had but heard what he faid of you last night!"-" Tell it not to me," he exclaimed, "I have undone myself with her for ever!"-Then recollecting that he was on the point of betraying Fanny Claypole, he checked himself, and grasping both her hands in his-" Sufan !" he cried, "I conjure you, by the love you once had for me, never name me to your angelic miftrefs; I am going to fhake off this loathsome existence, and my last breath will expire in prayers for her."-This faid, |