'Be not uneasy on my account, Mr. Reeves. Does not Sir Hargrave value himself upon his fortune? He would be loth to forfeit it. "His fortune is my security. And am I not a man of some consequence myself? Is not the affair between us known? Will not, therefore, the cause justify me and condemn him? The man is turbulent; he is uneasy with himself; he knows himself to be in the wrong. And shall a man who resolves to pay a sacred regard to laws divine and human, fear this Goth? 'Tis time enough to fear when I can be unjust. If you value my friendship, as I do yours, my good Mr. Reeves,' proceeded he, I shall be sure of your absolute silence. I will attend Sir Hargrave by ten to-morrow morning. You will hear from me, or see me at your own house, by twelve,'

And then it was, as Mr. Reeves tells me, that Sir Charles turned from him to encourage me to give the company a lesson from Dryden's Alexander's Feast.

Mr. Reeves went out in the morning. My cousin says, he had been excessively uneasy all night. He now owns, he called in St. James's Square, and there breakfasted with Lord and Lady L. Miss Grandison, Miss Emily, and Dr. Bartlett. Sir Charles went out at nine, in a chair, one servant only attending him: the family knew not whither. And his two sisters were fomenting a rebellion against him, as they humorously called it, for his keeping from them (who kept nothing from him) his motions, when they and my lord were together, and at his house: but my lord and Miss Emily pleasantly refused to join in it. Mr. Reeves told us, on his return, that his heart was so sunk, that they took great notice of his dejection.

About three o'clock, just as Mr. Reeves was de

termined to go to St. James's Square again, and, if Charles had not been heard of, to Cavendish Square, (though irresolute what to do when there) the following billet was brought him from Sir Charles. After what I have written, does not your heart leap for joy, my Lucy?

DEAR SIR, Half an hour after two. 'I WILL do myself the honour of visiting Mrs. Reeves, Miss Byron, and you, at your usual teatime, if you are not engaged. I tell the ladies here, that those who have least to do are generally the most busy people in the world. I can, therefore, be only answerable, on this vist, for, Sir, your most humble servant,

'CHARLES GRANDISON.'

Then it was, that, vehemently urged both by my cousin and me, Mr. Reeves gave us briefly the cause of his uneasiness.

About six o'clock, Sir Charles came in a chair. He was charmingly dressed. I thought him, the moment he entered, the handsomest man I ever saw in my life. What a transporting thing must it be, my Lucy, to an affectionate wife, without restraint, without check, and performing nothing but her duty, to run with open arms, to receive a worthy husband, returning to her after a long ab, sence, or from an escaped danger! How cold, how joyless!-But no! I was neither cold nor joyless; for my face, as I felt it, was in a glow; and my heart was ready to burst with congratulatory meaning, at the visible safety, and unhurt person, of the man who had laid me before under such obligations to him, as were too much for my gratitude. do not, do not tell me, my dear friends, that you love him, that you wish me to be

his. I shall be ready, if you do, to wish-I don't know what I would say: but your wishes were always the leaders of mine.

Mrs. Reeves having the same cause for apprehension, could hardly restrain herself when he entered the room. She met him at the door, her hand held out, and with so much emotion, that Sir Charles said "How weil, Mr. Reeves, you have kept my secret!-Mr. Reeves told him what an uneasiness he had laboured under from the preceding evening; and how silent he had been, till his welcome billet came.

Then it was, that both my cousins, with equal freedom, congratulated him.

And I'll tell you how the fool, the maiden fool, looked and acted. Her feet insensibly moved to meet him, while he was receiving the freer compliments of my cousins. I curtsied bashfully; it was hardly noticeable; and, because unnoticed, I paid my compliments in a deeper curtsey. And then, finding my hand in his, when I knew not whether I had a hand or not I am grieved, sir,” said I, 'to be the occasion, to be the cause—” And I sighed for one reason, (perhaps you can guess what that was) and blushed for two; because I knew not what to say, nor how to look; and because I was under obligations which I could not return.

He kindly saved my further confusion by making light of what had passed: and, leading me to a seat, took his place by me.

May I ask, Sir Charles?" said my cousin Reeves, and stopt.

'The conversation was too tedious, and too various, to be minutely related, Mr. Reeves. But Sir Hargrave had, by Mr. Bagenhall's desire, got his short-hand writer in a closet; and that unknown

to me, till all was over. I am to have a copy of what passed. You shall see it, if you please, when it is sent me.-Mean time, what think you of a compromise at your expense, Miss Byron?"

'I dare abide by every thing that Sir Charles Grandison has stipulated for me.'

'It would be cruelty to keep a lady in suspense, where doubt will give her pain, and cannot end in pleasure. Sir Hargrave is resolved to wait upon you: are you willing to see him?'

If, sir, you will advise me to see him.'

'I advise nothing, madam; pursue your inclinanations. Mr. Reeves is at liberty to admit whom he pleases into his house; Miss Byron to see in it, or wheresoever she is, whom she pleases. I told him my mind very freely: but I left him determined to wait on you. I have reason to believe he will behave very well. I shall be surprised if he does not, in the humblest manner, ask your pardon and yours, Mr. Reeves, and your lady's, -But if you have any apprehensions, madam,' (to me) 'I will be ready to attend you at five minutes notice, before he shall be admitted to your pre

sence.'

'It is very good, sir,' said Mr. Reeves, to be ready to favour Miss Byron with your countenance on such an occasion. But I hope we need not give you that trouble in this house.'

Sir Charles went away soon after; and Mr. Reeves has been accusing himself ever since with auswering him too abruptly, though he meant nothing but the truest respect. And yet as I have written it, on re-perusal, I don't above half like` Mr. Reeves's answer. But where high respect is entertained, grateful hearts will always, I believe, be accusing themselves of imperfections, which none other see, or can charge them with.

As Sir Charles is safe, and I have now nothing to apprehend but Sir Hargrave's visit, I will dispatch this letter, with assurances that I am, my dear Lucy, your ever affectionate

HARRIET BYRON.

LETTER IV.

MISS HARRIET BYRON TO MISS LUCY SELBY.

Friday, one o'clock, Mar. 3.

SIR CHARLES has just sent the impatiently expected paper, transcribed by the short-hand writer from his minutes of the conversation that passed on Sir Charles's intrepid visit at Sir Hargrave's. Intrepid, I call it: but had I known of it, as Mr. Reeves did, before the event, in some measure, justified the rashness, I should have called it rash, and been for proposing to send peace-officers to Cavendish Square, or taking some method to know whether he were safe in his person; especially when three o'clock approached: and his dinnertime is earlier than that of most other people of fashion.

Mr. Reeves has been so good as to undertake to transcribe this long paper for me, that I may have time to give you an account of three particular visits which I have received. I asked Mr. Reeves, if it were not a strange way of proceeding in this Bagenhall to have his short-hand writer, and now. turned listener, always with him? He answered, it was not an usual way; but, in cases of this nature, where murder, and a trial, were expected to follow the rashness, in a court of justice, he thought it carried with it, though a face of premeditation,