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 overwrought refentment. A fupply of provifions charitably fent us by my kind parishioners, feemed to diffufe new cheerfulness amongst the rest of my family, nor was I displeased at feeing them once more fprightly and at eafe. It would have been unjust to damp their fatiffactions, merely to condole with refolute melancholy, or to burthen them with a fadness they did not feel. Thus, once more, the tale went round, and the fong was demanded, and cheerfulness condefcended to hover round our little habitation.

THE

CHAP. XXIV.

Fresh calamities.

HE next morning the fun arose with peculiar 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 concert on the trees about us. It was in this place my poor Olivia first met her feducer, and every object ferved to recal her sadness. But that melancholy, which is excited by objects of pleasure, or infpired by founds of harmony, fooths the heart inftead of corroding it. Her mother too, upon this occafion, felt a pleafing diftrefs, and wept, and loved her daughter as before. Do my pretty Oli• via,' cried she, 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 pathetic, as moveď me.

WHEN

WHEN lovely woman stoops to folly,

And finds too late that men betray,
What charm can footh her melancholy,
What art can wath her guilt away?

The only art her guilt to cover,
To hide her shame from every eye,
To give repentance to her lover,
And wring his bofom-is to die.

As fhe was concluding the laft ftanza, to which an interruption in her voice from forrow gave peculiar foftness, the appearance of Mr. Thornhill's equipage at a distance alarmed us all, but particularly increased the uneafinefs of my eldest daughter, who, defirous of fhunning her betrayer, returned to the houfe with her fifter. In a few minutes he was alighted from his chariot, and making up to the place where I was ftill fitting, inquired after my health with his usual air of familiarity. Sir,' replied I, your prefent affurance only ferves to aggravate the bafenefs of your cha'racter; and there was a time when I would have chaftifed your infolence, for prefuming 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 daughter's late excurfion with me had any thing criminal in it.'

Go,' cried I, thou art a wretch, a poor pitiful < wretch, and every way a liar; but your meanness fecures 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, are refolved to be miferable, I cannot help it. But you may still be

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happy;

happy; and whatever opinion you may have formed of me, you shall ever find me ready to contribute to ⚫ it. We can marry her to another in a fhort time, and what is more, fhe may keep her lover befide; for I protest I fhall ever continue to have a true regard for her.'

I found all my paffions alarmed at this new degrading proposal; 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, 6 nor continue to infult me with thy prefence. Were my brave fon at home, he would not fuffer this; but I am ⚫ old, and disabled, and every way undoné.'

I find,' cried he, " you are bent upon obliging me to talk in a harfher manner than I intended. But as I have fhewn you what may be hoped from my friendship, it may not be improper to represent what may be the confequences of my refentment. My attorney, to whom your late bond has been • transferred, threatens hard, nor do I know how to prevent the courfe of juftice, except by paying the money myfelf, which, as I have been at fome expences lately, previous to my intended marriage, is not fo eafy to be done. And then my fteward talks of driving for the rent: it is certain he knows his duty; for I never troubled myself with affairs of that nature. Yet ftill I could wish to ferve you, and even to have you and your daughter prefent at my marriage, which is. fhortly to be folemnized with Mis Wilmot; it is even the request of my charming Arabella herself, whom I hope you will not refuse.' • Mr. Thornhill,' replied I, hear me once for all: ⚫ as to your marriage with any but my daughter, that I never will confent to; and though your friendfhip could raise me to a throne, or your refentment fink me to the grave, yet would I defpife both. Thou haft once wofully, irreparably, deceived me. I repofed my heart upon thine honour, and have found its bafenefs. Never more, therefore, expect " friend

friendship from me. Go, and poffefs what fortune has given thee, beauty, riches, health, and pleafure. Go, and leave me to want, infamy, disease, and forrow. Yet humbled as I am, fhall my heart • ftill vindicate its dignity, and though thou haft my forgiveness, thou shalt ever have my contempt.'

If fo,' returned he,' ' depend upon it you shall • feel the effects of this infolence, and we hall shortly • fee which is the fittest object of fcorn, you or me.'Upon which he departed abruptly.

My wife and fon, who were present at this interview, feemed terrified with the apprehenfion. My daughters alfo, finding that he was gone, came out to be informed of the refult of our conference, which, when known, alarmed them not less than the rest. But as to myself, I difregarded the utmoft ftretch of his malevolence: he had already ftruck the blow, and now I ftood prepared to repel every new effort. Like one of thofe inftruments used in the art of war, which, however thrown, ftill presents a point to receive the

enemy.

We foon, however, found that he had not threatened in vain; for the very next morning his steward came to demand my annual rent, which, by the train of accidents already related, I was unable to pay. The confequence of my incapacity was, his driving my cattle that evening, and their being appraised and fold the next day for less than half their value. My wife and children now therefore entreated me to comply upon any terms, rather than incur certain deftruction. They even begged of me to admit his visits once more, and used all their little eloquence to paint the calamities I was going to endure: The terras of a prifon in fo rigorous a feafon as the prefent, with the danger that threatened my health from the late accident that happened by the fire. But I continued inflexible.

Why, my treasures,' cried I, why will you thus attempt to perfuade me to the thing that is not right? My duty has taught me to forgive him;

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• but

but my confcience will not permit me to approve. Would you have me applaud to the world what my ' heart must internally condemn? Would you have me tamely fit down and flatter our infamous betrayer; and to avoid a prifon, continually fuffer the more galling bonds of mental confinement? No, never. If we are to be taken from this abode, only ⚫ let us hold to the right, and wherever we are thrown, we can ftill retire to a charming apartment, when we can look round our own hearts with intrepidity and with pleasure !'

In this manner we spent that evening. Early the next morning, as the fnow had fallen in great abundance in the night, my fon was employed in clearing it away, and opening a paffage before the door. He had not been thus engaged long, when he came running in, with looks all pale, to tell us that two ftrangers, whom he knew to be officers of justice, were making towards the house.

Juft as he spoke they came in, and approaching the bed where I lay, after previously informing me of their employment and bufinefs, made me their prifoner, bidding me prepare to go with them to the county gaol, which was eleven miles off.

My friends,' faid I, this is fevere weather in which you have come to take me to a prison; and it is particularly unfortunate at this time, as one of my arms has lately been burnt in a terrible manner, and it has thrown me into a flight fever, and I want clothes to cover me, and I am now too weak and old to walk far in fuch deep fnow: but if it must be 'fo'

I then turned to my wife and children, and directed them to get together what few things were left us, and to prepare immediately for leaving this place. I entreated them to be expeditious, and defired my fon to affift his elder fifter, who, from a consciousness that fhe was the caufe of all our calamities, was fallen, and had loft anguish in infenfibility. I encouraged my wife, who, pale and trembling, clafped our affrighted

little