 craftily, and therefore took care properly to instruct his emissaries, by one of whom—indeed the very same gentleman who accompanied Annette to town in the chaise—he received intelligence that the young lady was much better, and now rode out every morning, for an airing, either with Lady Roebuck, Emma, or Mrs. Marlow.
When last Mr. Gloss had been in Warwickshire, he had taken uncommon pains to insinuate himself into the good graces of this old lady, who also appeared to pay him extraordinary attention: to say truth, an attention that rather bordered upon inquisitiveness, and which he would have repulsed if it had not struck him that it might lead to the accomplishment of this scheme, which, as his dernier resort, he always had meditated.
He had now no doubts, could he get Annette at a distance from home, through the connivance of Mrs. Marlow, but he should complete his design.

He thought he had discovered that the old lady's passion was avarice, for he knew that the whole story of her having quitted Charles on account of her daughter was trumped up; nay he had told her so, and had got from her a reluctant confession that her inducement to take that step was a wish to shelter herself comfortably for the remainder of her life, at a distance from a turbulent young man, who, though he had good qualities, would never do any good either for himself or any one else.
Possessed, as he imagined, of so much of Mrs. Marlow's private sentiments, he thought he might, without danger, tamper with her a little further, and, for that purpose, sent a servant on horseback to say generally, at Roebuck hall, that Mr. Gloss proposed to pay that place a visit in the course of a few days, to which effect he also wrote a note to Sir Sidney, but informed Mrs. Marlow privately, by another note, that he had some most particular business with her, which he must explain that evening, and would attend her wherever she should appoint. He took care however so to qualify that note, by introducing such circumstances relative to her, that it must have told against her had she either partially or generally shewn it to any one.
Mrs. Marlow made a great many difficulties, but

at length consented to meet him at the bottom of the garden, which, in fact, she did. He lamented his situation, said he plainly saw that Sir Sidney would go with the stream, that she had herself allowed, in former conversations, that he was avaricious, and therefore
