to increase your cold.


My heart leaped so when I found I was to be left at home, that I was afraid my emotion was visible in my countenance. My aunt however did not observe it; for, apparently, she had no suspicion that I knew any thing of her design to send me to a convent: and

therefore she could not possibly guess my intention to leave her. But she certainly overacted her part, all on a sudden to drop her favourite scheme, the marrying me to sir Isaac Darby; and when I might reasonably expect that my obstinate refusal to comply with her desires, would create some coldness in her towards me, to find her not only free from all resentment, but even particularly kind and obliging. Sure this was sufficient to raise doubts in my mind, that something more than ordinary was at the bottom of all this affability.


It often happens that cunning over-reaches itself; for it seldom hits a medium, and generally does too much or too little. My aunt's behaviour would have led me to suspect that some design was forming against me; but if it had not been for Mrs. White's information, I should never have been able to discover what it was, for my own penetration would have gone no further than to suggest, that some scheme was laid to bring about my marriage with sir Isaac Darby; but this fear would have been sufficient to have winged my flight, so that the arts my aunt made use of to lull me into security, proved the very foundation of my doubts.


I had a new palpitation of the heart when I saw the chaplain follow my aunt into the coach. Sure! thought I, Heaven approves of my design to get away, since so many circumstances concur to make it practicable. It was natural, my dear, as my religion was in danger from the persecutions preparing for me, to think Heaven interested in the success of my intended escape.


There is certainly something very pleasing in supposing one's self the peculiar care of Providence on certain occasions. A Roman catholick would have made little less than a miracle of so favourable a concurrence of circumstances. However I suppressed this rising sally of spiritual vanity, and employed my thoughts in contriving how to get to town with convenience and safety, without expecting any supernatural assistance.

Here miss Woodby broke in upon the fair narrater, with an exclamation that will be found in the following chapter.

"OH! my dear," interrupted miss Woodby, laughing,
you have given an excellent name to a species of folly, which at