Part 25 (2/2)

'Lord! Sir,' said she, 'you cannot think what a hurry and flurry I be in! And all about you!'

'Me, Mary?'

'You shall hear, Sir My one out to take a walk in the park, as I _avised_ her to _divart_ her _ lady has _bin_ here; Miss--! I had forgotten! I _el upon _arth_ she is one; she says such kind things to my dear mistress, and does not blame her for her fault; for, _thof_ she be as innocent herself as the child unborn, she can pity the _misfortins_ of her own _sect_, when they a _bin_ betrayed by false hearted men; and all that she says is that we _mun_ take care to be more be-cautioned for the time to come: and then she says it in so sweet, and yet so _serus_ a manner, that I am sure no Christian soul if they'd a heard her would dare do other than as she says And as for a doing a good turn, I do verily believe she would give the morsel out of her mouth afore a poor creature should be driven to sin and shame for want--'

I interrupted her: she had raised soet, Mary; youme?'

'Oh lord! yea; a mort o' questions a _bin_ asked; for she talks as faives me heart, so that I be not _afeard_ to speak Whereof I could not help telling her a great s about you; as hohen little oodness and kind offers to my dear mistress; and how soft hearted and well spoken you _wur_ even to poor ood self Whereupon it gladdened her heart to hear there _wur_ another good creature, as good as herself And so she asked _ater_ your na no secret, I told her, and then it _wur_, if you had but a seen her! Her face _wur_ as pale as my kerchief! and I asked what ailed her ladyshi+p? And she replied in a faint voice, Nothing So that I thought there must for _sartinly_ be a _summut_ between you! for she sat down, and see for breath And I ran for a s bottle; whereupon she _wur_ better, and said she did not need it And so she asked how long you had lived in the house, and whether you looked happy? And I answered and said there _wur_ not a kinder happier creature breathing

So she asked again if I _wur_ quite sure that you _wur_ happy? And I said I _wur h frolad of it, very glad of it indeed For, said she, ood, which I be very sure is her kindness and not ood Mary, said she, I don't wonder that you do love Mr Trevor for having a saved your life He once saved est day I have to breathe: and--'

'It is she!' exclaier 'It is Olivia!

Benevolent angel! And does she deign to think of hts?'

'Anan!' said Mary 'I hope I a betrayed no secrets? For surely, I ha'

notto question Mary farther, Miss Wilmot returned I earnestly requested she would come into my apartment, related the discovery I had made, and spoke with all that enthusiasm which the revival of hope and the ardour of passion could inspire

Miss Wils; and, with a fervour that spoke the kindness of her heart, hoped she should one day see a pair so worthy of each other blessed to the full accomplishment of their wishes; but she confessed she had her fears, for she thought that the remark, that lovers best calculated to make each other happy were seldom united, was but too true

I prevailed on her to take tea with me; Mary waited, and I put a thousand questions to her; for my conversation was all on this subject I could think of nothing else O how pure was the delight of this discovery! That Olivia should quit the scenes of tumultuous joy, and seek the forlorn and unfortunate, purposely to ate their wants, and ade inexpressibly sweet to the soul! And that she should still remember me! that my very name should raise such coht to hear my praise, and recollect the fortunate moment when I bore her from death with such affection!--It was rapture unspeakable!

I learned from Mary that she lived with her aunt, a few streets distant; and Miss Wilmot informed me that she constantly visited her twice, and sometimes oftener, each week How did ht return that very evening, or at least the next day! In the iot all impediments

Let me but see her; let me but know that she was in the house, and I supposed the ! Never did seductive fancy paintto the heart

Pains and pleasures dance an eternal round The very next day brought sensations of an opposite kind My mother had found no person of who her own by ht proper to venture it with Thornby; lest under the pretext of monies advanced, he should make she knew not what deduction She had therefore written to me, soon after I came to London, to find her a purchaser; and after so persons better informed than myself had occasioned, I had advertised the week before and had entered into a negotiation

Terh copy of a deed for that purpose was broughtletter arrived

'SIR,

'In spite of my caution, your mother has played the fool once more

She was too suspicious to trust the h I warned her to beware of accidents I must say she is a very oman Her husband, Mr Wakefield, has made his appearance, and has trumped up some tale or another to i He has got the ave her; so what is to become of her I do not know She expects he will fetch her aithin a month, and keep her like a lady, on the profits of so to his account, a friend was to procure for him if he could but raise five hundred pounds You may think how likely he is to keep his proins to be in a panic She dare not write to you, on which I thought it best to let you know the truth at once; for, as I said before, what is to become of her I do not know

I am, &c

NABAL THORNBY'

The train of ideas which the strange contents of this epistle excited was painful in the extreme The idiot conduct ofto the narrow lis else! Yet, who but she was the chief actor in this scene of lunatic folly? Was there a woulled?

As for her husband, the bitterness of gall was not so choaking as the recollection of hiust too intense to be dwelt upon! To suffocate him as a monster, or a sooterkin, seemed the only punishment of which he orthy