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this vehicle, and I was defired to get out of that I was in, and to enter it...

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Again I would have refifted, and again I found that refiftance might fubject me to infults, but would finally avail me nothing. I reproached Darnell with the perfidy and infamy of his conduct. He feemed now to have found an unusual degree of courage, and anfwered.me with a furly fort of triumph. I implored him to tell me whither he was about to take me? he faid, to people quite as good as I was-people of honour and character. I could give no other anfwer to his impertinence, than I should be very much furprised if I found it fo, fince it would be indeed extraordinary if people of honour and character were connected with a man, who was acting in absolute defiance to both. After travelling, as nearly as I could guess, fixteen or eighteen miles, and ftopping once at a very forlorn looking houfe, which I have fince thought belonged to one of Mr. Darhell's tenants, for the people, as if through

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fear,preferved a profound filence, the chaife ftopped before the old fashioned thick walls of a fort of court, furroundfing, or rather which was before, an old manfion houfe of gloomy and gothic appearance. There were two great brick pillars, with heavy stone work over them, which time had eaten into excavations, and which chance and nature had Town with wall-flowers, valerian, rag-wort, and antirhinum; within they were mantled with ivy, or lined with holly. Over the front of the house a vine was trained, which con cealed fome of the cafements. I refufed to get out, for the appearance of the place, which I did not then, as you may believe, fo minutely investigate, frightened me. Again however I had no choice. I defcended, and entered the house up feveral steps! and this I found was the place in Yorkshire Darnell had fpoken of, and was the refidence of his mother, and of an old aunt of her's, to whom the house belonged. I was fhewn into a parlour, which I am perfuaded had remained in the ftate it was M

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now in for fome centuries. The tapestry with which one fide was hung reprefented Judith with the head of Holophernesa oft terrific fubject and most ghaftly execution. The other two parts of the room were painted to imitate cedar. The curtain of an immenfe old window feemed once to have been green mixed damafk, but it retained very little of its original hue, and was now of a dingy yellow. The great chimney was all thining with brass, and there was a work ed skreen and worked chairs, which the old lady's care had not been able to fave from the depredations of the moths. You will wonder how I could have at that moment a mind fufficiently difengaged to attend to these minute remarks; but I had time enough to make them after my firft difquiet fubfided. tant als That difquiet was not, you may ima gine, inconfiderable, when I found myself in fúch a place, of which I had no doubt but, that] Darnell was abfolute master. He left me as if to give the firft impulfes M 5

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of terror time to operate; but it had a contrary effect, and allowed me a respite, which I used in confidering the means of efcape, and refolving rather to hazard my life than long to remain in this man's power.

"After about half an hour, a coarse but clean female fervant entered the room, and took from the corner of it an old Japan tea table, on which was arranged the best tea equipage. A fmall filver tea kettle and lamp next made their appearance, and in a few moments Mrs. Darnell, the buxom widow, as the ftill affected to be, entered, led by her fon, who with wonderful affurance introduced me ás the young lady who had done him the hohour to have fo favourable an opinion of him. She was a fat gentlewoman, almost as broad as fhé was high, with her hair or wig frizzled and powdered quite white, fine rofy cheeks hanging down on her furprifing buft, which was ornamented with beads, and her fon's picture fufpended to them." She approached me

with the fort of air people have who feel the most perfect confidence in their own powers of pleafing, and would have kiffed my cheek, but I liked her familiarity almost as little as her fon's, and stepped back, You are in an error, Madam,' faid that person whom you call fon, but whofe name I hardly know, has deceived you, and I call upon you, as you are a woman, and I am willing to fuppofe a gentlewoman, to influence him that I may be restored to my mother.",

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Well,' cried the jolly dame, her great face, appearing to enlarge as fhe fpoke, Well, this does indeed, Mifs, furpafs all belief. Humph! Very ftrange furely! but I will nat believe a young perfon like you, Mifs, will ftand in her own light fo much-and befides, let me tell you, that aftar the ftep you have taken it is doing yourself a great injary, and you cannot fappofe you will make your marketo alsewhere,'. The woman then went on to give me a long history of her fon's virtues, qualities, property, and expectaM 6

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