Puslapio vaizdai
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"My dear, I am forry to find you " disturbed; your fide is in pain again "I am afraid."

"It was a great deal better; but "this woman's impertinence brings on "all my old complaints."

"No, no, it won't; only keep your"felf quiet: but pray, as I am quite a "stranger to the ftory, will you tell me " what this Mrs. Evans did, to make you so very angry with her ?"

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"I told you, fir William, fhe fell "in love with a nobleman's tutor, and "married him contrary to the advice "of all her friends. My father was "fo incenfed, that he declared if she "starved, he would never take the leaft "notice of her any more. But I was " very kind to her, and I fent her fome "of my caft-off clothes when I mar"ried, which, I fuppofe, encouraged "her to the unheard-of impudence

" which

"which he has been guilty of. Be"cause she had been a fort of humble

<< friend when we were quite girls, fhe "had the effrontery to beg me to intro"duce her husband to you; a fellow, "whofe grandfather was nothing but a

travelling pedlar. Did you ever know "fuch audacity!"

Doubtless fir William would have felt very angry, if one of his own relations had contaminated the blood of Powerfcourt by mixing it with the "puddle of a pedlar," and his refentment might have continued, till he difcovered that he had it in his power to do the difgraced couple an act of fervice; but he thought it very ridiculous that a family of yesterday should in this inftance pretend to the fame delicacy with one that could be traced through untold centuries. Her lady fhip, perceiving that the glow of refentment did not kindle

in his countenance fo fast as she ex

pected, added by way of climax, " And "fhe fent the letter the very day when "fhe knew I intended to receive company-only think of endeavouring "to occupy my attention at such a "time."

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"I think," faid fir William emphatically, "that poor Mrs. Evans has been "very unfortunate in applying when

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you were either too much engaged

by pleasure or pain to attend her. But "a promise is a promife, let people "claim it when they will."

Lady Powerscourt's confcience here gave her a fevere pang, and the confufedly answered, that he was fure the never meant to make any engagement; the durft fwear that he never faid fo; at least, if fhe had, fhe had quite forgotten it.

"Very likely, very likely," replied the good man; "you never meant what "you faid, and fo forgot all about it. "But you see she has remembered it, " and perhaps the world may think "that it is owing to me that you have "not kept your word, at least accord"ing to Mrs. Evans's account of the "matter however, I will try to clear

up the mistake; and as fhe is your « friend and relation, they shall not be " left deftitute."

Sir William here rofe and hurried out of the room, while lady Powerscourt loudly disclaimed the word relation, protesting Mrs. Evans could not be nearer than a fecond coufin, which the counted nothing at all.

CHAP VI.

One felf-approving hour whole years outweighs
Of stupid starers, and of loud huzzas.

POPE.

THE benevolence of fir William Powerfcourt was not confined within the narrow limits of relations and friends. It was not annihilated by the fuppofition of ingratitude, nor did its delicate fenfibility fhrink from the contact of human infirmity. It seemed a ray of that beneficence which causes the fun to rife upon the evil and the good, and the rain to fall upon the juft and the unjust.

Nor was his idea of charity limited to the virtue of beneficence. Combining with his natural placability of temper, it produced the most cordial defire of being at peace with all mankind, and

made

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