Puslapio vaizdai
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"Worthy of

dency of her reply. "yourfelf," was the answer. "But "there is one part," continued Lucy, "which feems to afk for explanation: "Some particulars of your story are "unknown to me, nor do I wish to "hear what it will be agony for you to

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repeat. But why, my dearest! do

you hesitate to do juftice to your "wounded fame, perhaps too to pre"ferve fome other victim from medi"tated ruin, by giving up a villain to "that punishment which the offended "laws of his country would inflict upon "his atrocious crimes?"

My refolution," said the countess, "is fixed; but you fhall hear the rea"fons on which it is founded. You "know the fabricated tale which "drew me from Monteith. My recol"lection, then not clear, foon grew 0 6

"more

"more confused: and it is only by "comparing circumftances that I can "connect my narrative. I think I must "have been first taken to an obfcure "house in a lonely fituation; for I re"collect on the horfes ftopping I faw "only trees and a mean, building, and "I thought how foolish it was to stop "there, as my lord would never

put up at fuch a place as that.— "I fuppofe that I was detained there "till my pursuers had paffed upon the "road. I remember travelling very "fast; but my head was too bad for "me to guess where. It was on a "Thursday that I left the caftle. My "lord found me in a small inn in Lan" cashire on Tuesday. I was fitting "in a room by myself, and weeping "bitterly, when he burft in. He re"viled me in the severest terms, and

" asked

I told

"asked me for Fitzofborne. " him that I did not know where he was, " and wished I never might fee him. "more--Indeed, Lucy, I fpoke the "truth; but my lord redoubled his "ravings. I know that I faid I was "not fo wicked as he fuppofed; and I "made an effort to kneel; but whe"ther he fpurned me from him, or I "fell through giddiness, I cannot tell. "I hurt myself in my fall; and, re

covering, found myself covered with "blood. But my head was relieved, "and I was treated with compaffion. "I kept afking for my lord. They "told me, that he was gone after the "gentleman who came with me. O "what a found was that for me! The "people at the inn were worthy cha"racters. They believed me to be "penitent, and affifted me to escape "from my feducer. I knew not where

"to

"to go; but I thought you would ad“vise me. I travelled rapidly towards "Powerscourt till I heard of my fa "ther's illnefs. You know the reft."

The trembling Geraldine faltered as the repeated this melancholy tale, and then funk weeping on the bofom of her friend.

Suppofe me now," continued fhe, as foon as she could recover composure enough to proceed, "repeating this << narrative in a court of juftice, every "eye fixed upon me with offenfive cu"riofity; infulted (at least in my own "opinion) by that cross-examination, "which impartial juftice will require "to discover whether I was not the "willing partner of the crime. The "powers of eloquence will be ex«erted against me. Confufion may "make me prevaricate; and when life " is at ftake, mercy pleads for the cri

minal whofe guilt appears doubt«ful. None of my own fervants were <<< with me. I can bring no corroborating evidence. It will be proved,

that I was feen with him on the road, "and at feveral inns, and made no "effort to escape. My appearance "may have caused contradictory opi"nions; and art like his would certainly "take care that the general impreffion "fhould be unfavourable. To those who "know not my ufual manner, I might "feem paffive, or acquiefcent, as well "as infenfible.

"But fuppofe my character receives "all the juftification it can by his con"demnation, of what advantage will "his death be to me, or to the world? "The vain beauty, who is not deterred by my misfortunes from liftening to "the adulations of a Fitzosborne, will "not be diffuaded from encouraging

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