her children in it, who were removing on fome parish complaint to Skipton-They were a fad fick crew, and dying of an infectious fever. . . ."

George Delmont started in horror, clafped his hands eagerly together, and seemed almoft unable to endure this additional fhock.

"Fever!" cried he, "an infectious fever and my Medora !"

"Your Medora, as the woman at the inn told me, nurfed the children, and gave money to the mother; all fhe had about her, and bought them wine; and fo they all got to a small hedge ale-houfe together, from whence the carter, who had driven. them, fhewed her the way to a better inn

and there fhe put herself into the protection of the man and his wife, who had agreed to put her into one of the night coaches for London, when from a window on the other fide of the inn-yard fhe faw me, and, as many other beautiful young ladies have done, threw herself into my

arms."

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"You

"You cannot mifunderstand that, I think, Major Delmont, it was on my protection the meant to throw herself. You must immediately, nay you did immediately, understand it fo. And had you then fo little honour, fo little principle, as to abuse this confidence? Tell me, Sir, where is fhe now ?"

Really, George, this fort of treatment I do not understand, though I have borne it for fome time."

"Nay, Major Delmont, it is I who have had to endure the contumely, which not only now, but on all occafions, you think proper to treat me with; but which, on any other occafion, I could much better forgive. To end difcourfe which is infupportable, tell me where Mifs Glenmorris now is ?"

"Upon my foul I do not know." "That anfwer, Major Delmont, will not fatisfy me."

"It muft, Farmer Delmont, for I have no other to give you."

"Where did you leave her, Sir?"

"I did not leave her at all-the little ungrateful baggage left me."

"And would she have done fo? would fhe have fled from protection which, from fo near a relation of mine, fhe would have thought she had a right to claim, had you not, instead of befriending her as a brother, infulted her as a libertine? I know Medora well, and know that no false prudery would have driven her away alone. and deftitute. You rudely, you cruelly took advantage of her helpless fituation."

Upon my foul I only told her fhe was a bewitching girl; and would you, who are a profeffed lover of truth, quarrel with me for that?”

"It was unworthy of you as a gentleman and as a man.”

"I represented to her, that if she was difpofed to continue her journey northward, I was very much at her service; or if fhe would honour me with her company in my poftchaife to London, she would

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would make me the happieft of beings, and fo forth."

"And if you had made fuch an offer as a man of humanity, of honour, ought to have made it, would fhe not joyfully have accepted it ?"

"I affure you I intended the thould have accepted it; and upon my foul the was frightened at nothing; or the might repent, for ought I know, and wish to return to Goofequill. Yet, hang it, the dear rogue looks too intelligent for that; fhe can never have fo bad a tafte. I declare, George; nay, now I am ferious, that I began playing the fool, that is, only making fine fpeeches; for I did not touch the end of her imperious little finger; I began, I say, playing the fool-only because the witch was devilish handfome, and I had no very exalted opinion of her fublime virtue from what I had learned one way or other about her ; but when I faw I could make nothing of her for myself, and had been convinced fhe was a true turtle

dove to thee, why I fhould have quietly made the best of it, and brought her back as properly and foberly as a cardinal or a judge. The monkey, I tell you, took fright at nothing. A girl, who had feen only one winter in London or Dublin, would never have thought of fuch fkittish: nonfenfe; but your rice bird, forfooth,. would not truft me, a little deceitful toad, but was off again in the morningI could not find where or for what."

"And have you no means of telling me, Major Delmont," faid George, fhewing him the letter he had found at Up-wood, "whether this letter was written before or after you met Mifs Glenmor-ris."

"Before, I think moft likely," faid Adolphus, after he had perused it. "Well! --and fo now. What do you intend to do?"

"I know not. Iain diftracted! Oh!' Adolphus, would I have acted towards the woman you loved, as you have done to-wards this dear, innocent, injured girl!” ́ George:

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