look like taking advantage of it were I so much as to offer my humble opinion, unless he were pleased to command it from me. If he does, assure your self, my lord, that (my sister's inclination in your lordship's favour pre-supposed) my voice shall be warmly given, as you wish. I am, my lord, with equal affection and esteem, your lordship's faithful and obedient servant.

Both sisters rejoiced at the perusal of this affectionate letter; for they were afraid that the unnatural prohibition of correspondence between them and their brother had estranged his affections from them.

The particulars of one more conversation I will give you, between my lord and Sir Thomas, on this important subject; for you must believe, that Lord L. could not permit a matter of such consequence to his own happiness to go easily off; especially as neither of the two daughters was able to stand her father's continual raillery; which had banished from the cautious eyes and apprehensive countenances of both ladies, all indications of love; though it reigned with the more absolute power in the heart of Miss Caroline, for that concealment.

In this conversation, my lord began with a little more spirit than he finished the former. The Countess lent me my lord's minutes of it; which he took for her to see, and to judge of all that passed at the time.

On my lord's lively, but respectful address to Sir Thomas on the occasion, the baronet went directly into the circumstances of my lord, and his expectations.

Lord L. told him frankly, that he paid interest for 15,000l. for sisters' fortunes; three of whom

were living, and single: that he believed two of them would soon be advantageously married; and he should wish to pay them their portions on the day; and was contriving to do so, by increasing the incumbrance that his father had left upon the finest part of his estate, to the amount of 5,000/.; which, and his sisters' fortunes, were all that lay upon a clear estate of 5,000l. a year. After he had thus opened himself, he referred the whole to Sir Thomas's consideration.

'My advice, my lord, is this,' said, the baronet : That you should by no means think of marriage till you are clear of the worid. You will have 10,000l. to pay directly: you will have the interest of 10,000l. more to pay; and you men of title, on your marriages, whether you like ostentation or not, must be ostentatious. Your equipages, your houses, your furniture-A certain increase of expense. By no means, my Lord L. think of marriage, till you are quite clear of the world, unless you could meet with some rich widow or heiress, who could do the business at once.'

Lord L. could only, at first, urge his passion. [He durst not his daughter's affection, and the happiness of both which were at stake.] Sir Thomas opposed discretion to that plea. Poor passion, Lucy, would be ashamed to see the sun, if discretion were always to be attended to in treaties of this kind.

Afterwards he told Sir Thomas that he would accept the lady upon his own terms. He besought his consent to their nuptials. He would wait his own time and pleasure. He would be content if he gave not Miss Carolina a single shilling.

Sir Thomas was fretful-And so, lover-like, you would involve the girl you profess to love, in difficulties! I will ask her if she wants for any

thing with me, that a modest girl can wish for. But, to be serious, it is a plaguy thing for a man to be obliged, by the officious love, as it is called, of a pretender to his daughters, to open his affairs, and expose his circumstances to strangers. I wish, my lord, that you had let my girls alone. I wish you had not found them out in their country retirement. I should have carried them to town, as I told you, in a few months. Women so brought up, so qualified, and handsome girls, are such rarities in this age, and men worth having are so affrighted at the luxury and expensiveness of the modern women, that I doubted not but the characters of my girls would have made their fortunes with very little of my help. They have family, my lord, to value themselves upon, though but spinsters. And let me tell you, since I shall be thought a more unnatural man than I am, if I do not obey the present demand upon me to open my circumstances, I owe my son a great deal more than 30,000l.'

'I don't understand you, Sir Thomas.'

6 Why, thus, my lord, I explain myself: My father left me what is called rich. I lessened the ready money, which he had got together for a purchase he lived not to complete, a great deal. That I looked upon as a deodand, so was not answerable for it; and as I was not married, my son had no right in it. When I was married, and he was given

me

'Forgive me, Sir Thomas: your son a right— and had not your other children?'

'No, my lord: they were girls-And as to them, had I increased my fortune by penuriousness, instead of living like a man, I was determined as to their fortunes

'But, as I was saying, when Lady Grandison died, I think (though every father does not; nor

should I, were he not the best of sons, and did he expect it) the produce of her jointure, which is very considerable, should have been my son's. As to what I annually allowed him, that it was my duty to allow him, as my son, and for my own credit, had his mother not brought me a shilling.-Then, my lord, I have been obliged to take up money upon my Irish estate; which being a family estate, my son ought to have had come clear to him. You see, my lord, how I expose myself.'

"You have a generous way of thinking, Sir Thomas, as to your son: but a man of your spirit would despise me, if I did not say, that—'

'I have not so generous a way of thinking for my daughters-I will save your lordship the trouble of speaking out, because it is more agreeable from myself than it would be for any other man to do it. But to this I answer, that the late Earl of L. your lordship's father, had one son and three daughters-I have one son and two. He was an earl-I am but a simple baronet-If 5,000l. a-piece is enough for an earl's daughters, half the sum ought to do for a baronet's.'

"Your fortune, Sir Thomas-and in England, where estates-'

"And where living, my lord, will be five times more expensive to you than it need to be, if you can content yourself to live where your estate lies. -As for me, I have lived nobly-But had I been as rich as my father left me, 5,000l. should have done with a daughter, I assure you. You, my lord, have your notions: I have mine. Money and a girl you expect from me: I ask nothing of you. As matters stand, if my girls will keep, (and I hope they will) I intend to make as good a bargain for them, and with them, as I can. Not near 5,0001. a-piece must they expect from me. I will not rob

my son more than I have done.-See, here is a letter from him. It is an answer to one I had written, on the refusal of a wretch to lend me, upon my Irish estate, a sum that I wanted to answer a debt of honour, which I had contracted at Newmarket, unless my son (though it is an estate in fee) would join in the security. Does not such a son as this deserve every thing?"

I obtained a sight of this letter; and here is a copy.

HONOURED SIR,

'I COULD almost say I am sorry that so superior a spirit as yours should vouchsafe to comply with Mr. O.'s disagreeable and unnecessary demand. But, at least let me ask, why, sir, did you condescend to write to me on the occasion, as if for my consent? Why did you not send me the deeds, ready to sign? Let me beg of you, ever dear and ever honoured sir, that you will not suffer any difficulties, that I can join to remove, to oppress your heart with doubts for one moment. Are you not my father?-And did you not give me a mother, whose memory is my glory? That I am, under God, is owing to you. That I am what I am, to your indulgence. Leave me not any thing! You have given me an education, and I derive from you a spirit, that, by God's blessing on my duty to you, will enable me to make my own fortune: and, in that case, the foundation of it will be yours; and you will be entitled, for that foundation, to my warmest gratitude. Permit me, sir, to add, that, be my income ever so small, I am resolved to live within it. And let me beseech you to remit me but one half of your present bounty. My reputation is established; and I will engage not to discredit my father. All I have ever aimed at, is, to