der paffions, and neglected by her husband, goes the length of taking a young fellow like you in her arms; and I will take upon me to fay, fuch a woman can have but one poffible motive for what fhe does. Talk not to me of benevolence and charity: would she embrace a beggar? would fhe prefs age and uglinefs to her bofom? No, no, Henry, you cannot impofe upon me, nor do I believe you are yourself impos'd upon: you are at once the irrefiftible conqueror of us both, and the only difference between us is, that I have the fincerity to avow a paffion for you, and she has the hypocrify to disguise it."

This faid, fhe turned towards him, and with outfpread arms was proceeding to embrace him, when starting back, he exclaimed"Hold, Madam! I am not faint enough to fubfcribe to your opinions, nor quite fo much of a finner as to fuit your purposes."

He now fprung out of the room, and left her in that state of mind, which is as little intitled to pity as it is calculated to excite envy.

CHAPTER

CHAPTER V.

Mifcellaneous Matters.

As our hero flowly directed his steps toΑ

wards the hofpitable cottage, pondering the preceding dialogue in his mind, a thousand diftracting thoughts took poffeffion of him by turns: fometimes he reproached himself for not having attempted to foothe Jemima with hopes and promises; at other times he almost doubted if he ought not to have facrificed every scruple for Lady Crowbery's fake; again his fpirit rofe against such grofs impurity, and the fallacy of the maxim of doing evil that good might come' ftruck him in full force."If innocence," he cried, " can be no otherwife protected than by the commiffion of guilt, let it fhift for itself." To appeal to the Doctor was to roufe a fufpicion in Jemima, that he had betrayed her to him, and that he forefaw would be the certain way to drive her upon retaliation; befides, he knew the amount of Zachary's authority, and how little good was to be looked for from his interference: to apprize Lady Crowbery of her danger was his anxious wifh, but by what means he knew not, for neither interview nor letter feemed

either

either eafy or fafe to undertake. Ezekiel's fidelity could not be doubted, but as a counfellor in this cafe, few men could be found lefs qualified.

Henry had now croffed the green, and was making towards the cottage, when he heard himself accofted by a man in a plain drab ridingcoat, and booted, who asked him if that great house at a distance belonged to Lord Crowbery? Henry, who had juft then little or no attention for any thing but the thoughts he was immerfed in, ftared rather wildly at the ftranger, and in a peevish kind of tone anfwered, that he knew nothing at all of the matter. That is rather extraordinary," replied the ftranger, "for I think I faw you come from the house, where Lady Crowbery has been; and if you are bound to that cottage, you are going where fhe is."-" And what is that to you, Sir?" demanded Henry, in the fame tone, and abruptly turned away from him. He now quickened his pace, and, entering the cottage kitchen, found there Ezekiel and Dame May, who immediately gave him the fignal for filence, telling him, in a whisper, that Lady Crowbery and Miss Manftock were in the inner room conferring with

Sufan;

Sufan; "And I hope," added the dame,

"that our girl is in a way to get a place with one of them."

The good dame conjectured rightly, for thofe ladies had been queftioning Sufan May upon certain preliminary circumftances, proper to be well explained before any overture was made on Mifs Manftock's part for hiring her as her waiting-woman. The points, which

Sufan had to clear, were fimply what arose from the afperfions Blachford had caft upon her with refpect to Henry; and being ftraitly interrogated on the fubject by Lady Crowbery, she answered, without prevarication or reserve, that to be fure fhe could not deny a very fincere efteem for Henry, as who could help liking one every way fo worthy and so engaging? but as to what that base man, Mr. Blachford, imputed to her, fhe denied it utterly. It would be well for him, she observed, if he had one grain of that honour which Henry poffeffed, in fuch a degree, that the believed he would die a thoufand deaths rather than be guilty of fuch bafenefs as that vile man had meditated against her: fhe then related the particulars of his attempt upon her when she folicited him to releafe Henry from the stocks.

When

When both ladies had joined in expreffing their just abhorrence of fuch proceeding, with proper commendations of Sufan's conduct, fhe again refumed her confeffion of attachment to Henry; and after a very animated enumeration of his many excellent qualities, mental and perfonal, concluded by humbly asking pardon of her hearers for intruding fo long upon their patience." But you, Madam," faid fhe, addreffing herself to Lady Crowbery, "I know to be so kind and confiderate, that I am fure you will forgive a poor girl like me if I have faid too much, for you know a heart too full will overflow; and to be fure, though I have not the most diftant idea of aspiring to Mr. Henry, who I dare fay is as much above me in birth as he is in merit and understanding, yet I hope it is no fin to love him, to pray for his happiness and profperity, and to bless and reverence, as from my foul I do, all thofe who are good to him, and your ladyship above all."

Sufan ceafed, and whilft the tears flowed from her foft eyes, a fympathetic fhower bedewed the cheeks of Lady Crowbery; the lovely Ifabella (for lovely fhe was, gentle reader, and fair beyond my powers of defcon) was fo DG pleafed