of his defigns, by fending my son to old Mr. Wilmot's, with inftructions to know the truth of the report, and to deliver Mifs Wilmot a letter, intimating Mr. Thornhill's conduct in my family. My fon went, in pursuance of my directions, and in three days returned, affuring us of the truth of the account; but that he had found it impoffible to deliver the letter, which he was therefore obliged to leave, as Mr..Thornhill and Mifs Wilmot were vifiting round the country. They were to be married, he faid, in a few days, having appeared together at church, the Sunday before he was there, in great splendour, the bride attended by fix young ladies, and he by as many gentlemen. Their approaching nuptials filled the whole country with rejoicing, and they usually rode out together in the grandeft equipage that had been feen in the country for many years. All the friends of both families, he faid, were there, particularly the Squire's uncle, Sir William Thornhill, who bore fo good a character. He added, that nothing but mirth and feafting were going. forward; that all the country praised the young bride's beauty, and the bridegroom's fine perfon, and that they were immenfely fond of each other; concluding, that he could not help thinking Mr. Thornhill one of the most happy men in the world. "Why, let him, if he can," returned L: “but, "my fon, obferve this bed of ftraw, and unfhel"tering roof; thofe mouldering walls, and hu"mid floor; my wretched body thus difabled by "fire, "fire, and my children weeping round me for "bread: you have come home, my child, to all "this: yet here, even here, you see a man that "would not for a thousand worlds exchange"fituations. O my children, if you could but "learn to commune with your own hearts, and "know what noble company you can make them, "you would little regard the elegance and splen"dors of the worthlefs. Almost all men have "been taught to call life a paffage, and them"felves the travellers. The fimilitude ftill may "be improved, when we obferve, that the good "are joyful and ferene, like travellers that are "going towards home; the wicked but by in"tervals happy, like travellers that are going in"to exile." My compaffion for my poor daughter, overpowered by this new difafter, interrupted what I had farther to obferve. I bade her mother fupport her, and, after a fhort time, fhe recovered. She appeared from that time, more calm, and, I. imagined, had gained a new degree of refolution: but appearances deceived me, for her tranquillity was the languor of over-wrought refentment. A fupply of provifions, charitably fent us by my kind parishioners, feemed to diffuse new cheerfulnefs amongst the reft of the family; nor was I difpleased at feeing them, once more, sprightly and at eafe. It would have been unjust to damp their fatisfactions, merely to condole with refolute melancholy, or to burden them with a sadness they did not feel. Thus, once more, the tale went. round, round, and the fong was demanded, and cheerfulnefs condefcended to hover round our little habi tation. HE next morning, the fun arofe with pecu THE liar warmth for the feafon; fo that we agreed to breakfast together on the honey-fuckle bank where, while we fat, my youngest daughter, at my requeft, joined her voice to the con-. cert on the trees about us. It was in this place my poor Olivia firft met her feducer, and every object served to recal her fadnefs. But that melancholy which is excited by objects of pleasure, or infpired by founds of harmony, foothes the heart, inftead of corroding it. Her mother too,. upon this occafion, felt a pleafing distress, and wept and loved her daughter, as before. "Do,. "my pretty Olivia," cried fhe, "let us have that "little melancholy air your papa was fo fond of; "your fifter Sophy has already obliged us. Do, "child, it will please your old father." She complied in a manner fo exquifitely pathetick, as moved me: "When "When lovely woman ftoops to folly, "The only art her guilt to cover, "To hide her fhame from ev'ry eye,. "To give repentance to her lover, "And wring his bosom-is to die." As fhe was concluding the laft ftanza, to which an interruption in her voice, from forrow, gave peculiar foftnefs, the appearance of Mr. Thornhill's equipage at a distance alarmed us all, but particularly increased the uneasiness of my eldeft daughter, who, defirous of fhunning her betrayer, returned to the house with her fifter. In a few minutes he was alighted from his chariot, and, making up to the place where I was ftill fitting, enquired after my health, with his ufual air of familiarity. "Sir," replied I, " your prefent as"furance only ferves to aggravate the bafenefs of 66 your character; and there was a time when I "would have chaftifed your infolence, for pre"fuming thus to appear before me. But now "" you are fafe; for age has cooled my paffions, "and my calling reftrains them." "I vow, my dear Sir," returned he, "I am "amazed at all this; nor can I understand what "it means! I hope you don't think your daugh"ter's late excurfion with me had any thing cri "minal in it?" "Go," "Go," cried I, "thou art a wretch, a poor "pitiful wretch, and every way a liar; but your "meanness secures you from my anger ! "Yet, Sir, I am defcended from a family that "would not have borne this! And fo, thou vile "thing, to gratify a momentary paffion, thou haft "made one poor creature wretched for life, and "polluted a family that had nothing but honour for their portion." "If the, or you," returned he, 66. are refolved ❝to be miferable, I cannot help it. But you "may ftill be happy; and whatever opinion you. 6s. may have formed of me, you fhall ever find me ready to contribute to it. We can marry "her to another in a fhort time, and, what is "more, the may keep her lover befide; for I pro"teft I fhall ever continue to have a true regard "for her." I found all my paffions alarmed at this new de grading propofal; for though the mind may often be calm under great injuries, little villany can at any time get within the foul, and fting it into rage." Avoid my fight, thou reptile," cried I," nor continue to infult me with thy prefence. "Were my brave fon at home, he would not fuf"fer this: but I am old, and disabled, and every "way undone." "I find,” cried he, you are bent upon oblig"ing me to talk in an harfher manner than I in "tended. But as I have shown you what may "be hoped from my friendship, it may not be "improper |