Vol.3. Major. Your Lordfhip, and you, madam, will allow, that it would be the greatest hardship in the world, to deny to a mother the fight of her child.

Capt. De very greatest hardship of all hardships. Your Lordship will not refufe to let de daughter come to her moder.

Lord L. Her guardian perhaps will not deny it. You must apply to him. He is in town. Mifs Jervois is here but as a gueft. She will be foon in town. I must not have her alarmed. She has very weak fpirits.

Mrs. O-Hara. Weak fpirits, my Lord!-A child to have fpirits too weak to fee her mother!-And she felt for her handkerchief.

Mifs Gr. It founds a little harshly, I own, to deny to a mother the fight of her daughter: But unless my brother were prefent, I think, my Lord, it cannot be allowed.

Major. Not allowed, madam!

Capt. A moder to be denied to fee her daughter! Jefu! And he crossed himself.

Mrs. O-Hara (putting her handkerchief to hide her eyes, for it seems the wept not). I am a very unhappy mother indeed

Major (embracing her). My deareft life! My best love! I muft not bear thefe tears-Would to God Sir Charles was here, and thought fit-But I came not here to threaten-You, my Lord, are a man of the greatest honour; fo is Sir Charles.-But whatever were the misunderstandings between husband and wife, they should not be kept up and propagated between mother and child. My wife at prefent defires only to fee her child: That's all, my Lord. Were your brother prefent, madam, he would not deny her this. Then again embracing his wife, my dear foul, be comforted. You will be allowed to fee your daughter; no doubt of it. I am able to protect and right you. My dear foul, be comforted.

She

She fobbed, Mifs Grandifon fays; and the goodnatured Lord L. was moved-Let Mifs Jervois be asked, If the chooses to come down.

I will go to her myfelf, faid Mifs Grandifon.
She came down prefently again-

Mifs Byron and Mifs Jervois, faid fhe, are gone out together in the chariot.

Major. Nay, madam

Capt. Upon my falvation this must not pass-And he fwaggered about the room.

Mrs. O-Hara looked with an air of incredulity. It was true, however: For the poor girl being ready to faint, I was called in to her. Lady L. had been making a vifit in the chariot; and it had just brought her back. O fave me, fave me, dear madam, faid Mifs Emily, to me, wringing her hands. I cannot, 1 cannot fee my mother out of my guardian's prefence: And fhe will make me own her new husband. I beseech you, fave me; hide me!

I faw the chariot from the window, and, without asking any queftions, I hurried Mifs Emily down ftairs, and conducted the trembling dear into it; and whipping in after her, ordered the coachman to drive any-where, except towards London: And then the poor girl threw her arms about my neck, fmothering me with her kiffes, and calling me by all the tender names that terror and mingled gratitude could fuggeit to her.

Mifs Grandifon told the circumftances pretty near as above; adding, I think, my Lord, that Mifs Emily wants not apology for her terror on this occafion. That Lady, in her own heart, knows that the poor girl has reafon for it.

Madam, faid the Major, my wife is cruelly ufed. Your brother-But I fhall talk to him upon the fubject. He is faid to be a man of confcience and honour: I hope I fhall find him fo. I know how to protect and right my wife.

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And

And I will stand by my broder and his lady, faid the Captain, to de very laft drop of my blood.-He looked fierce, and put his hand on his fword,

Lord L. You don't by thefe airs mean to infult me, gentlemen-If you do

Major. No, no, my Lord. But we must seek our remedy elsewhere. Surprifing! that a mother is denied the fight of her daughter! Very furprifing!

Capt. Very furprifing, indeed!-Ver dis to be done in my country-In France-English liberty! Begar ver pretty liberty!-A daughter to be supported against her moder-Whew! Ver pretty liberty, by my falvation !

Mrs. O-Hara. And is indeed my vile child run away to avoid feeing her mother?-Strange! Does fhe always intend to do thus ?-She must fee me-And dearly fhall the repent it!

And he looked fierce, and particularly fpiteful; and then declared, that fhe would flay there till Emilycame back, were it midnight.

Lord L. You will have my leave for that, madam? Major. Had we not beft go into our coach, and let that drive in queft of her?-She cannot be far off. It will be eafy to trace a chariot.

Lord L. Since this matter is carried fo far, let me tell you, that, in the abfence of her guardian, I will protect her. Since Mifs Jervois is thus averse, she fhall be indulged in it. If you fee her, madam, it must be by the confent, and in the presence, of her guardian.

Major. Well, my dear, fince the matter ftands thus; fince your child is taught to fhun you thus; let us fee what Sir Charles Grandifon will fay to it. He' is the principal in this affair, and is not privileged. If he thinks fit-And there he stopped, and bluftered; and offered his hand to his bride.--I am able both to protect and right you, madam; and I will. But you have a letter for the girl, written on a fuppofition that

the

she was not here.-Little did you think, or I think, that she was in the house when we came; and that the fhould be fpirited away to avoid paying her duty to

her mother.

Very true. Very true. And, Very true, faid each; and Mrs. O-Hara pulled out the letter, laying it on one of the chairs; and defired it might be given to her daughter. And then they all went away, very much diffatisfied; the two men muttering and threatning, and refolving, as they faid, to make a vifit to Sir Charles.

I hope we fhall fee him here very foon. I hope these wretches will not infult him, or endanger a life fo precious. Poor Emily! I pity her from my heart. She is as much grieved on this occafion, as I was, in dread of the resentment of Sir Hargrave Pollexfen.

Let me give you fome account of what paffed between Emily and me: You will be charmed with her beautiful fimplicity.

When we were in the chariot, fhe told me, that the laft time fhe faw her mother, it was at Mrs. Lane's: The bad woman made a pretence of private business with her daughter, and withdrew with her into another room, and then infifted that the fhould go off with her, unknown to any-body. And becaufe I defired to be excufed, faid the, my mother laid her handsupon me, and faid fhe would trample me under her foot. It is true, (unhappy woman!) fhe was [Then the dear girl whispered me, tho' no-body was near us-sweet modeft creature, loth to reveal this part of her mother's fhame even to me aloud, and blufhed as fhe fpoke-] fhe was in her cups.-My mamma is as naughty as fome men in that refpect: And I believe fhe would have been as good as her word; but on my fcreaming (for I was very much frighted) Mrs. Lane, who had an eye upon us, ran in with two fervants, and one of her daughters, and rescued me. She had torn my cap-Yet it was a fad

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thing,

thing, you know, madam, to fee one's mother put out of the house against her will. And then the raised the neighbourhood. Lord blefs me, I thought I fhould have died. I did fall into fits. Then was Mrs. Lane forced to tell every one what a fad woman my mother was!-It was fuch a difgrace to me !It was a month before I could go to church, or look any-body in the face. But Mrs. Lane's character was of her fide ; and my guardian's goodness was a help-Shall I fay a help against my mother?-Poor woman! we heard afterwards, fhe was dead; but my guardian would not believe it. If it would please God to take me, I fhould rejoice. Many a tear does my poor mother, and the trouble I give to the best of men, coft me, when nobody fees me; and many a time do I cry myself to fleep, when I think it impoffible I fhould get fuch a kind relief.

I was moved at the dear girl's melancholy tale. I clafped my arms about her, and wept on her gentle bofom. Her calamity, which was the greatest that sould happen to a good child, I told her, had endeared her to me: I would love her as my fifter.

And fo I will: Dear child, I will for ever love her. And I am ready to hate myself for fome pasfages in my laft letter. O how deceitful is the heart! I could not have thought it poffible that mine could have been fo narrow.

The dear girl rejoiced in my affurances, and promifed grateful love to the latest hour of her life.

Indeed, madam, I have a grateful heart, said she, for all I am so unhappy in a certain relation. I have none of thofe fort of faults that give me a resemblance in any way to my poor mother. But how fhall I make out what I fay? You will mistrust me, I fear : You will be apt to doubt my principles. But will you promise to take my heart in your hand, and guide it as you please ?-Indeed it is an honeft one. I wifh you faw it thro' and thro'.-If ever I do

a wrong