guilty of fhould be fo chaftifed. Nevertheless, as neither your age, your sex, nor your fortune, ought to give you the privilege you have hitherto taken, I defire to tell you before this gentleman, your friend, that if I hear that you continue to pursue with inveterate malignity these inoffenfive and deferving ladies, I fhall be compelled to notice it in a very different manner." Armitage then, without waiting for the anfwer, which was retained by rage, and trembled on the lips of Mrs. Crewkherne, opened the door, and departed, while fhe, breathlefs between anger and awe, could not for fome time recover herself, or find fufficient voice to utter the virulent abufe with which she, however, at last loaded him, her obfequious confeffor liftening with fomething like terror, while he faw her diftorted countenance, and her mouth foaming with fury. Instead of speaking, to her of patience and calmnefs, he acquiefced in the heavy accufations fhe continued to infift upon against Armitage, exclaiming exclaiming "Oh! madam, madam, my worthy lady!-what tanes do we live in, when fuch fentiments as we have just heard are not only entertained, but avowed and gloried in! Verily the dragon, and the winged ferpent, and the griffin, and the hippopotamus are affembled, and the nations of the earth fhall be fubdued." There was, however, an affemblage juft then announced to be on the table of Mrs. Crewkherne, which Mr. Habbukkuk Cramp contemplated with more pleafure-A fmall turbot, an excellent neck of venifon from Mr. Bethune's park, a fricafee of chicken, and a marrow pudding. So the dragon and Co. and even Mr. Armitage himself, and all his fhocking opinions, were for the time forgotten. CHA P. II. L'argent fait tout; va, c'est chose tres fûre AFFLED in his hopes of obtaining any BAFFLED information from Mrs. Crewkherne, Armitage returned in increafed uneafinefs to find Delmont.-Delmont, on his fide, disappointed in every scheme he had formed to trace either the mother or the daughter, had fet out poft for Upwood, leaving a (hort note to inform Armitage, that he thought it pofiible, by the means of Sufanne, who he intended to bring to London with him, to find fome perfon who might give them information.He would return, he faid, immediately. Armitage did not foresee much advantage from this plan, but confcious that he had nothing better to propofe, he continued to occupy himself in the fame fruitless fearch. His pain and folicitude increafing increafing in proportion as time wore away, and deeper mystery involved the objects of his anxiety. A fleet from North America, which had been detained by the neceffity of waiting for convoy, and fince by contrary winds, now arrived at the port of London. Armitage haftened to the compting-houfe of Petrify; he found there feveral letters to Mrs. Glenmorris from her husband, one to Delmont, and one to himself alfo from Glenmorris. Petrify, careful only about the poftage, which Armitage willingly paid, delivered him the letters, and he retired, eager to read that which was addreffed to himself. But the pleasure with which the hufband and the father fpoke of the return of his wife and child; the fatisfaction he expreffed at the approaching marriage of his Medora with a man so esteemed as Delmont, and his lively expreffions of gratitude towards Armitage, gave extreme pain to him they were addreffed to." How often," faid he, "have I reVOL. IV. C flected flected on the different lots which have fallen to Glenmorris and to me; rejoicing, indeed, in the happiness he poffeffed in fuch a charming wife, in fo fweet a daughter, yet regretting the cold and comfortless life to which I, who have neither, fhould be condemned, did I not animate my otherwife joylefs existence by the intereft I take in the friends I love -But now I have only to fhare by anticipation in the pain this once happy husband, this once fortunate father, must endure, when he knows these objects of his affections are-what are they?-Alas! I know not; and this fearful uncertainty seems to me more hideous, and will furely appear to him (fhould I be compelled to the wretched task of relating it) more diftracting than if I were to tell him that they were no more." To reflect, to argue, and to content himself with moralifing instead of acting was never any part of Armitage's character, when the service of his friends, or of the diftreffed, of whatever defcription, was |