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lain, I hate him and myfelf, to be a reproach to 'fuch goodness. You can't forgive me. I know you cannot. Yes, my child, from my heart I do forgive thee! Only repent, and we both fhall yet be happy. We fhall fee many pleasant days yet, my Olivia! Ah! never, fir, never. The rest of my wretched life must be infamy • abroad and fhame at home. But, alas! papa, you look much paler than you used to do. Could fuch a thing as I am give you fo much uneafinefs? Surely you have too much wifdom to take the miferies of my guilt upon yourself.'Our wifdom, young woman,' replied I. Ah, why fo cold a name, papa?' cried fhe. 'This is the first time you ever called me by so cold a name.’ -I afk pardon, my darling,' returned I; but I was going to obferve, that wisdom makes but a flow defence against trouble, though at last a fure one.' The landlady now returned to know if we did not choose a more genteel apartment, to which affenting, we were fhewn a room where we could converse more freely. After we had talked ourselves into fome degree of tranquillity, I could not avoid defiring fome account of the gradations that led to her prefent wretched fituation. That villain, Sir,' faid fhe, ' from the first day of our meeting made me honourable though private propofals."

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• Villain indeed,' cried I; and yet it in fome 'measure surprises me, how a perfon of Mr. Bur'chell's good fenfe and feeming honour could be guilty of fuch deliberate bafenefs, and thus ftep ' into a family to undo it.'

My dear papa,' returned my daughter, you la'bour under a strange mistake, Mr. Burchell never attempted to deceive me. Inftead of that he took every opportunity of privately admonishing me against the artifices of Mr. Thornhill, who I now 'find was even worse than he reprefented him.'

Mr. Thornhill,

. Yes,

Mr. Thornhill,' interrupted I, can it be?' Sir,' returned fhe, it was Mr. Thornhill who feduced me, who employed the two ladies as he called them, but who in fact were abandoned. women of the town without breeding or pity, to decoy us up to London. Their artifices you may remember would have certainly fucceeded, but for Mr. Burchell's letter, who directed thofe reproaches at them, which we all applied to ourselves. How he came to have fo much influence as to defeat their intentions ftill remains a fecret to me; but 'I am convinced he was ever our warmest fincereft * friend.'

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You amaze me, my dear,' cried I; but now I • find my firft fufpicions of Mr. Thornhill's baseness were too well grounded: but he can triumph in fecurity; for he is rich and we are poor. But tell me, my child, fure it was no fmall temptation that could thus obliterate all the impreffions of fuch an education, and fo virtuous a difpofition as thine ?' Indeed, Sir,' replied fhe, he owes all his triumph to the defire I had of making him, and not myself, happy. I knew that the ceremony of our marriage, which was privately performed by a popifh priest, was no way binding, and that I had nothing to truft to but his honour.' What,' interrupted I, and were you indeed married by a prieft, and in orders ?' Indeed, Sir, we were,' replied fhe, though we were both fworn to conceal his name. Why then, my child, come to my arms again, and now you are a thoufand times. more welcome than before; for you are now his wife to all intents and purposes; nor can all the ' laws of man, though written upon tables of adamant, leffen the force of that facred connexion.'

Alas, papa,' replied the, you are but little acquainted with his villainies: he has been married already by the fame prieft to fix or eight wives

VOL. I.

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more,

more, whom, like me, he has deceived and aban• doned.'

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Has he fo? cried I, then we must hang the prieft, and you fhall inform against him to- morrow.'- 6 But, Sir,' returned fhe, will that be right, when I am fworn to fecrecy?' My dear, I replied, if you have made fuch a promife, I cannot, nor will I tempt you to break it. Even though it may benefit the public, you must not inform against him. In all human inftitutions fmaller evil is allowed to procure a greater good; in politics, a province may be given away to fe'cure a kingdom; in medicine, a limb may be lopt off to preferve the body. But in religion the law is written, and inflexible, never to do evil. And this law, my child, is right: for otherwise, if we • commit a fmaller evil to procure a greater good, • certain guilt would be thus incurred, in expec'tation of contingent advantage. And though the ⚫ advantage fhould certainly follow, yet the interval ⚫ between commiffion and advantage, which is allowed to be guilty, may be that in which we are called away to answer for the things we have done, and the volume of human actions is clofed for ever. But I interrupt you, my dear, go on."

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The very next morning,' continued fhe, I ⚫ found what little expectations I was to have from his fincerity. That very morning he introduced me to two unhappy women more, whom like me • he had deceived, but who lived in contented proftitution. I loved him too tenderly to bear fuch rivals in his affections, and ftrove to forget my infamy in a tùmult of pleasures. With this view I danced, dreffed, and talked; but ftill was unhappy. The gentlemen who vifited there told me 6 every moment of the power of my charms, and this only contributed to encrease my melancholy, as I had thrown all their power quite away. Thus

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each day I grew more penfive, and he more infolent, till at laft the monfter had the affurance to offer me to a young Baronet of his acquaintance. Need I defcribe, Sir, how his ingratitude ftung me. My answer to this propofal was almoft madnefs. I defired to part. As I was going he offered me a purse; but I flung it at him with indignation, and burft from him in a rage, that for a while kept me infenfible of the miseries of my fituation. But I foon looked round me, and faw myself a vile, abject, guilty thing, without one friend in the world to apply to. Juft in that interval a ftage coach happening to pafs by, I took a place, it being my only aim to be driven at a distance from a wretch I defpised and detefted. was fet down here, where, fince my arrival, my own anxiety and this woman's unkindness have been my only companions. The hours of pleafure that I have paffed with my mamma and fifter now grow painful to me. Their forrows are much; but mine is greater than theirs; for mine are mixed with guilt and infamy.'

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Have patience, my child,' cried I, and I hope things will yet be better. Take fome repose tonight, and to-morrow I'll carry you home to your mother and the reft of the family, from whom you will receive a kind reception. Poor woman, this has gone to her heart: but he loves you fill, Olivia, and will forget it.'

CHAP. XXII.

Offences are easily pardoned where there is love at

bottom.

THE next morning I took my daughter behind me, and fet out on my return home. As we travelled along, I ftrove by every perfuafion to calm her forrows and fears, and to arm her with refolution to bear the prefence of her offended mother. I took every opportunity from the profpect of a fine country, through which we paffed, to obferve how much kinder heaven was to us than we to each other, and that the misfortunes of nature's making were very few. I affured her, that she fhould never perceive any change in my affections, and that during my life, which yet might be long, she might depend upon a guardian and an inftructor. I armed her against the cenfures of the world, shewed her that books were sweet unreproaching companions to the miserable, and that if they could not bring us to enjoy life, they would at least teach us to endure it.

The hired horfe that we rode was to be put up that night at an inn by the way, within about five miles from my houfe, and as I was willing to prepare my family for my daughter's reception I determined to leave her that night at the inn, and to return for her, accompanied by my daughter Sophia, early the next morning. It was night before we reached our appointed ftage: however, after feeing her provided with a decent apartment, and having ordered the hoftefs to prepare proper refreshments, I kiffed her, and proceeded towards home. And now my heart caught new fenfations of pleasure the nearer I approached that peaceful manfion. As a bird that

had