be sent to Lady Hazard on the very evening his lordship should be engaged at Snaffle's, apprizing her of the fact. This, it was plain to Standfast, had been neglected; but that something, as we before observed, should be substituted in its place, the lady had, through the means of Miss Snaffle, conferred a favour on his lordship which she thought would serve just as well to communicate the secret to Lady

Hazard. To say truth, this was a coup de grace which Standfast, with all his rascallity, had not meditated. It was a vengeance truly feminine, and greatly worthy the vindictive Mrs. O'Shocknesy.—How these conspirators answered their conduct to their ringleader will by and by be seen. At present I shall only say that Mrs. O'Shocknesy defended herself by an argument which will at least prove her to be a proper coadjutor of the great Mr. Standfast. It was no less than that the knowledge of Lady Hazard's pregnancy induced her to take that harmless step before mentioned, without her principal's privity; at which he was as much incenced as was Hecate against the witches, who dared to prompt Macbeth in his iniquity without her orders.


IT will now be proper to speak concerning Miss Le Clerc, whose whole history, as far as Mr. Ingot knew it, Sir Sidney learnt much about the time the two ladies were reading Emma's letter; for the good citizen being, as I observed, Lord Hazard's man of business, they were in a manner obliged to consult him upon several points relative to the property of Little Hockley. On the first of these visits every thing naturally came out, and when the baronet and his lady met, both were ripe for the discovery of what was no secret to either.
The story of Annette was no mystery, but it has been shewn in what way it was told; and if Miss Le Clerc was Sir Sidney's wife, what then was Lady Roebuck? This was a consideration of a most serious nature, and, in justice to so amiable a lady, it was admitted that it ought to be set to rights.—Lord and Lady Hazard being therefore the only persons who had it in their power to make a single

comment on this subject, and that nobleman and his lady having by this time, for many reasons, become great favourites with these two friends, they were, without the alteration of a single circumstance, informed of the real truth. This led to the establishment of a most intimate and binding friendship between the two couples,