with abhorrence every idea of a second
marriage. But my brothers every day required a larger supply of money to
support them as their birth demanded; and to their interest my father at
length determined to sacrifice the remainder of a life, which had on his
own account no longer any value. The heiress of a rich grocer in the
city was soon discovered by his assiduous friends, who was reputed to be
possessed of two hundred thousand pounds. On closer enquiry, the sum was
found to be very little if at all exaggerated by fame. Miss Jobson, with
a tall, meagre person, a countenance bordering on the horrible, and
armed with two round black eyes which she fancied beautiful, had seen
her fortieth year pass, while she attended on her papa, in
Leadenhall-street, or was dragged by two sleek coach horses to and from
Hornsey. Rich as her father was, he would not part with any thing while
he lived; and, by the assistance of two maiden sisters, had so guarded
his daughter from the dangerous attacks of Irishmen and younger
brothers, that she had reached that mature period without hearing the
soothing voice of flattery, to which she was extremely disposed to
listen. My father, yet in middle age, and with a person remarkably fine,
would have been greatly to her taste if he could have gratified, with a
better grace, her love of admiration. But his friends undertook to
court her for him; and his title still more successfully pleaded in his
favour. She made some objection to his having a family; but as I alone
remained at home, she at length agreed to undertake to be at once a
mother-in-law and a Countess. While this treaty was going on, and
settlements and jewels preparing, I was taken several times to wait on
Miss Jobson: but it was easy to see I had not the good fortune to please
her.

'I was but just turned of fifteen, was full of gaiety and vivacity, and
possessed those personal advantages, which, if _she_ ever had any share
of them, were long since faded. She seemed conscious that the splendour
of her first appearance would be eclipsed by the unadorned simplicity of
mine; and she hated me because it was not in my power to be old and
ugly. Giddy as I then was, nothing but respect for my father prevented
my repaying with ridicule, the supercilious style in which she usually
treated me. Her vulgar manners, and awkward attempts to imitate those of
people of fashion, excited my perpetual mirth; and as her dislike of me
daily encreased,