sions and appease the capricious cravings of vanity, how might truth and worth ascertain success? The comedy I had seen had convinced me that farce, inanity, and supreme nonsense, might not only pass current but find partisans; yet proofs in abundance were on record that genius itself had no security against fac tion, envy, and mistaken opposition. I was at present in a state of warfare and were judges like these to give the meed of victory? How many creatures had the powerful and the proud obedient to their beck; ever ready to affirm, deny, say and unsay; and, by falsehood and defamation, involve in ruin men whose souls were the most pure, and principles the most exalted! For some days I remained in a state of suspense, continually determining to seek the satisfaction which I supposed my injuries demanded, but undecided with respect to the method. This delay was still prolonged by ano-, ther ther event. My man Philip, one morning when he brought my breakfast, told ine that a woman in the house, who lived with a young lady on the second floor, had asked him various questions concerning me; saying she was sure she knew me, that she loved me from her soul, for that I had once saved the life of her and her dear boy, and that she wished very much to see me. At first this account surprised me.' A woman and a boy whose lives I had saved? Where is she, said I Below in the kitchen, answered Philip. I bade him desire her to come up; and in a few minutes a woman about the age of forty entered, but of whose countenance I had no clear recollection. 'I beg pardon, Sir,' said she, for my boldness, but your name I believe is Mr. Trevor?' 'It is.' 'Mr. Hugh Trevor?' 'The same.' 'God in his mercy bless and keep you! Since the night that you saved my life, I never went to bed without praying for you. But you were always a kind, dear, good child; and your uncle, Mr. Elford, was the best of men!' The epithet, child, and the name of Elford instantly solved the riddle: it was poor Mary; and the boy, whose life I had saved, was the child of which she was delivered, after the adventure of the barn. Her features suddenly became as it were familiar to me. She revived a long train of ideas, inspiring that kind of melancholy pleasure which mind so much delights to encourage. I kissed her with sincere good will: and in sym. pathy with my feelings the poor creature, yielding to her affections, clasped me round the neck, pressed me to her cheek, exclaimed God in heaven for ever bless you!' then, suddenly recollecting herself, with that honest simplicity which was so constitutionally her character, dropped on her knees, and added, I humbly beg pardon, Sir, for being so bold!' After some persuasion, I prevailed on her to sit down but I could not conquer her timidity and imaginary inferiority so far as to induce her to partake of my breakfast. She knew her duty better; I was a gentleman, once her dear young master, and she should always adore me, and act as was befitting a poor servant, like her.' We talked over former affairs, and she brought many scenes of my early youth strongly to recollection. On inquiry, she told me she had apprenticed her son to a printer; that till this period she had fed, clothed, and educated him by her own industry; and that he was now likely to be no longer burthensòme to her, being an apt and industrious boy, and already capable of supplying himself with clothes by his over-work. I farther learnt, from her discourse, that she lived with a young lady, whom she she affectionately loved; and there was something mysterious occasionally in her phrases, that led me to imagine her mistress had been unfortunate. She had been a kind mistress to her; she loved her in her heart. Poor young lady! she did not deserve the mishaps she had met with ; and it was a shame that some men should be so base as they were: but, though all the world should turn their back on her, she would not be so wicked. Poor women were born to be misused, by false-hearted men; and, if they had no pity for one another, what must become of them ? I asked if she had lived with the lady long? She answered, that first and last she had known her ever since she left Mr. Elford's service. • What! Was she of our county?' 'Was I acquainted with her?" Mary hesitated, and my curiosity was rouzed What was the lady's name?' • Miss |