 and, at length, prevailed upon me entirely to
acquit her. She raved like a Madwoman against my Lord, swore he should not stay
a Moment in her House, and that she would never speak to him more. In short, had
she been the most innocent Woman in the World, she could not have spoke, nor
acted any otherwise; nor could she have vented more Wrath and Indignation
against the Betrayer.
    »That Part of her Denunciation of Vengeance, which concerned my Lord's
leaving the House, she vowed should be executed immediately; but then, seeming
to recollect herself, she said, Consider, my dear Child; it is for your Sake
alone I speak; will not such a Proceeding give some Suspicion to your Husband? I
answered, that I valued not that; that I was resolved to inform my Husband of
all, the Moment I saw him; with many Expressions of Detestation of myself, and
an Indifference for Life, and for every Thing else.
    Mrs. Ellison, however, found Means to soothe me, and to satisfy me with my
own Innocence; a Point, in which, I believe, we are all easily convinced. In
short, I was persuaded to acquit both myself and her, to lay the whole Guilt
upon my Lord, and to resolve to conceal it from my Husband.
    That whole Day I confined myself to my Chamber, and saw no Person but Mrs.
Ellison. I was, indeed, ashamed to look any one in the Face. Happily for me, my
Lord went into the Country without attempting to come near me; for I believe his
Sight would have driven me to Madness.
    The next Day, I told Mrs. Ellison, that I was resolved to leave her Lodgings
the Moment my Lord came to Town; not on her Account: (For I really inclined to
think her innocent;) but on my Lord's, whose Face I was resolved, if possible,
never more to behold. She told me, I had no Reason to quit her House on that
Score: For that my Lord himself had left her Lodgings that Morning, in
Resentment, she believed, of the Abuses which she had cast on him the Day
before.
    This confirmed me in the Opinion of her Innocence; nor hath she from that
Day to this, till my Acquaintance with you, Madam, done any thing to forfeit my
Opinion. On the contrary, I owe her many good Offices; amongst the rest I have
an Annuity of 150l. a Year from my Lord, which I know was owing to her
