 the whole day: though I make no doubt but I should have forgotten that she existed in a week, had not my infant passion been nourished by several circumstances which afterwards occurred.
When I returned to dinner, I found a large party of neighbours who were paying visits of congratulation at the Castle on account of my sister Lady Ann's marriage with Mr. Vere, an event that had taken place a few weeks before. In the course of conversation at table, I mentioned my little adventure,

particularly dwelling on the extreme beauty and distress of the tenant's daughter.—Yes, cried the curate, who happened to be present, Fanny is the prettiest girl in the parish, and one of the best; but her parents have carried matters much too far, and have rendered her quite miserable, by insisting on the poor young woman's disposing of herself to fat Robin, your Lordship's gamekeeper. They have teazed and tormented her till they had almost driven her to venture on a very alarming step, to get rid of their importunities; she had privately determined to leave home, and take her chance of finding a service in town; but my wife suspecting her intention, deterred her from a scheme so fraught with danger, by representing the hazards attending such an exploit.
The conversation shifted to other topicks; but Fanny and her distress frequently occurred to my mind. I wished

much to deliver her from it; but I distrusted myself so little, as never once to suspect I was actuated in my wishes to relieve her by any other motive than that interest which youth and beauty, even without having produced any particular predeliction, seldom fail to excite in hearts of common sensibility. She appeared so amiable and so innocent, that, free as were my notions on certain subjects, the idea of deriving any sinister advantage to myself by releasing her from her present persecutions, never entered my imagination.
I contrived, as the best method of succeeding I could devise, to interest Lady Ann in the affair; who during her walks called at the farmer's, and represented so strongly to his wife, who had been an old servant in the family, the cruelty and injustice of forcing her daughter into the arms of a man she detested, that the old woman was prevailed on to give up the point

herself, and faithfully promised to use all her influence with her husband to persuade him to relinquish the plan likewise. In this visit my sister was so much pleased with the bewitching simplicity of Fanny's manners and appearance, and the unbounded gratitude she expressed for this obligation
