mine or my daughter's manners.—Our situation is certainly a very extraordinary one, and must naturally have raised your curiosity, which I have endeavoured to gratify by a plain and artless narrative.
I WISH for your sakes, as well as my own, that my story had been less affecting; but I shall not make any apology for having drawn forth the lovely drop of sympathetic sorrow, which glowed with brighter lustre on your cheeks than the most costly brilliant.
BOTH Lucy and I poured forth our thanks, for her kindness and condescension in relating her story; admired the constancy of her resolution in remaining so long in retirement, but seemed to hope that she might change her purpose. I saw she was displeased at such a hint; but with great politeness, said it was the only subject she did not wish to hear us talk upon, as it would always give her pain to dissent from our opinion, which

she must ever do, both in word and deed, upon that subject.
I THEN ventured to ask her if she wished that miss Somerville should pass her life in such a state of seclusion? She said by no means;—so far from it, that she sent forth a thousand fruitless wishes, that some lucky accident might happen to introduce her to persons of sense and virtue, and of a proper rank, to lead her gently into life; that she had heard the characters of all the persons of fashion in that neighbourhood from her chaplain, who frequently mixed with the world in order to transact her affairs;—that as she was above flattery, she was also superior to disguise, and frankly owned that her utmost wish in this world would be gratified, if lady Straffon would promise her protection to her dear orphan.
I SCARCE suffered her to finish the latter part of her speech before I flew to and embraced her, and with great truth assured her, that my inclinations met hers, more than half way. I begged that from that moment she would do me the honour to consider me as her sister, and that the lovely Laura might be henceforth deemed my niece.
EVERY thing that delicate gratitude could dictate was uttered upon this occasion; and we all appeared to be infinitely happier than we could have supposed it possible for us to be in so short a time, after having been so very much afflicted.
LADY Somerville concluded with informing me, that her father-in-law had been dead about four-years, and had left miss Somerville six-thousand pounds. We agreed that Lucy should bring Laura to Straffon-Hill to-morrow; and