gone forth upon the Green, and being there joined by feveral of his neighbours, with whom he was in general favour, had been giving them a valedictory harangue,, with fome occafionalcomments upon Justice Blachford's inhumanity to the widow; that good woman, in the mean while, who had not the fault of keeping an idle tongue, was no lefs bufy in a different quarter; and perhaps there was not a corner in the parish where he was not beloved and the Juftice abhorred, fo that all voices were loud in her caufe; even John Jenkins, a fellow of notorious levity, and the obftreperous cow-boy, his brother, were on the fide of the fufferers, and joined in the cry against their village-tyrant with the reft.

Henry and Susan alone kept house; he pondering on a variety of interefting matters, fhe probably on only one object, and that before her eyes. Opportunities like the prefent fhe had little prospect of in future; her heart fluttered, her fpirits wavered betwixt hope and defpair: the fighed, and gently refting her arm upon his shoulder, "Alas! for me," she cried, "my happy hours have been but few, and they are paft: You'll think no more of me when this fine lady occupies your heart: I fee it com

ing

ing on, I fee it plainly."—" Impoffible!” he replied, "my thoughts are otherwise employ'd; they never can afpire fo high."-"Ah, Henry!" refumed fhe, "this is but feign'd humility; you've seen enough to know that I am right: You and I fhall take no more fuch. walks together as we have done; you will have a fairer companion in your rambles through the groves at Manftock; and let me own 'tis fit you fhou'd; I am not worthy of you; you are in all refpects above me, and it was only in your distress'd and humble state that I afpir'd to think of you, to confort with you, and to love you: If I have been too forward, and offended you, do not remember me with contempt, but pardon a fond girl that can never ceafe to bear you a devoted faithful heart."

Sufan never looked so lovely in the eyes of Henry as at this moment: the melancholy tone in which these words were uttered, the modeft air accompanying their delivery, her fighs, her tears, her blushes, touched him more fenfibly than all the playful fmiles that in her gayer moments she had glanced upon him. Every thing that his compaffionate nature could fugget to confole and foothe her he faid and did without referve, for every paffion feemed now buried

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buried in affliction; and as for fuch careffes as honour might allow of, he deemed it cruelty to withhold them.-But here let me infert one caution to my youthful readers how they furrender themselves to the indulgence of that dangerous propenfity called pity, which, if it is not love itself, is yet fo closely allied to it, that wherever the interefts of the one can be served, there is no fafety in committing yourselves to the other. Of the truth of this remark our inexperienced Henry may ferve for an example; feduced by pure compaffion into the office of a comforter, he found himself furprized into emotions, which it required the strongest refolution to controul; and fo gentle was the current, fo pleafingly deceitful the gradations by which he was carried on towards that gulph, where honour would have been loft, that had not the recollection of his late reproach to Blachford timely warned his confcience to avoid the guilt which he condemned in another, he had here been overthrown, and we muft have devoted one unwilling page to the lamented record of his fhame; for opportunity courted him, beauty fmiled upon him, love allured, and Sufan whispered an inviting challenge in his ear, that fairly fet all prudence at defiance; in fhort, malicious For

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tune

tune feemed to have trepanned him into a fituation with this tempting girl, exactly of a piece with their's, to whofe incontinence he owed his birth.

"Then I must marry you," was his apology to Sufan's rafh propofal.-"I ask no fuch facrifice," replied the damfel." This hofpitable roof will fall upon my head."-" Away with all fuch fcruples," fhe again replied, and prefs'd him in her arms." "Tis a hard struggle !" he exclaimed," but, by the Power that guards me, I will never be a Blachford !"-With these words he fprung from her embrace: the fnares of love, that had fo nearly closed upon him, gave way, and burft at once; the vanquished paffions fled, and Virtue put her wreath of triumph on his brow!

A momentary glance of anger darted from the eyes of Sufan, as fhe exclaimed,-" Heavens ! can you use me thus ?"-But it was only a glance; refentment had no lasting tenure in her breaft; her heart, though liable to be furprized by love, was not furrendered to difhonour: She rallied her difordered thoughts, looked back upon the paft with confcious felf reproach for her own defperation, and, covered with confufion, hid her face.

IN

CHAPTER IX.

A Funeral Oration out of Place.

N the council, that fate upon the fate of Henry, there were as many opinions as there were members: Fulford, who looked for no refources but what were to be found in his own profeffion, recommended the ejectment; and of this we have already seen the refult, which certainly was not very flattering to the projector.

Captain Crowbery, whofe ideas, like those of Fulford, were of the profeffional fort, was for bolder measures, and undertook, through his intereft with a friend, who commanded a prefsgang then upon the coaft, to take our hero off, unknown to all his friends, and ship him in a tender: This proposal, which did not interfere with the legal proceeding before mentioned, nor involve any one of the junto either in difficulties or dangers, was univerfally approved of, and had in fact every merit that a revengeful plot could boast of: It was therefore refolved, nem. con. that the Captain fhould fet forth in fearch of his friend, and concert the means of carrying it into execution fecretly and fecurely;

Lord