" said Mrs. Willis to her, when she saw her sitting down to write,
in which simplicity is the greatest refinement of art; yours is one of them: be as simple and

ingenuous as you can in the account you give your aunt, and let the facts speak for themselves.

Henrietta followed her advice, and related every part of her conduct since she had left her, and the treachery and deceit that had been used towards her, with the utmost plainness and sincerity, and saw that she had made her letter more affecting by its simplicity, than she could have done by the nicest touches of art. Mrs. Willis read it, and approved of it; and it was immediately dispatched to the post.
Scarce was this little affair over, when Mr. Bale sent in his name.
"I like this piece of ceremony," said Mrs. Willis;
it looks as if the man was ashamed of what he has done: do you chuse to see him, miss?

"Oh! no," replied Henrietta;
it would be strange indeed if I was willing to see a man whom you suspect of having such shocking designs, and who I am sure has not acted honestly.

"Well then," said Mrs. Willis,
I will go down to him, and hear what he has to say.

She returned again in less than an hour, smiling. "This young man," said she,
does not want sense: what would you say, miss,

if I was to tell you that he has persuaded me he has acted very right, and with the best intentions in the world.


I should say that I am less unhappy than I thought I was,
replied miss Courteney;
for surely it is a great misfortune to meet with persons who abuse our confidence and the good opinion we have of them.

"That misfortune," said Mrs. Willis,
will in time become so common, that you will feel it less sensibly than you do now. The only way to avoid being deceived, is to be always upon your guard against deceit.

"That is to say I must be always suspicious," said Henrietta;
that may be a very prudent maxim, but my heart disavows it.

"Alas! my dear," replied Mrs. Willis,
we all enter upon the world with high notions of disinterestedness, friendship, sincerity, and candor: but experience shows us, that these qualities exist not, or among so very few, that it does not fall to the lot of one mortal in a thousand to meet with