great diftrefs by this unlucky accident; fhe became even afraid, left, terrified by a fpecies of calamity which she had never experienced, Madame de Seidlits fhould become more urgent than ever with Laura to give her hand to Zeluco, and left Laura, in compliance with her mother's defire, might at laft confent: but what made her more uneafy than all the reft, was her not having it in her power, from any fund of her own, fufficiently to relieve the diftrefs of her friends.

In this fituation fhe could think of nobody fo able, and whom the expected to find fo willing, to fupply her in what fhe wanted, as the Honourable Mr. N. She sent a message, defiring that he would come and fpeak with her as foon as poffible. Mr. N-was not at home. She fent again, begging that he would come to her the moment he arrived.

But her impatience increafing as the time of the departure of the poft for Naples drew near, the drove to Mr. N-'s lodging, and calling for Buchanan, told him,

The

she had business of importance with his mafter, and would wait for him till he came home. Buchanan fhewed her into a room adjoining to Mr. Steele's dreffingroom, and separated from it by a very crazy partition. Steele was there with Mr. Squander, and fome other young Englishmen. Signora Sporza hearing their voices, thought she distinguished that of Mr. N—. "No," faid Buchanan," it is a party of "it young gentlemen, who are taking a courfe of Roman antiquities; they wait at prefent for the antiquarian who inftructs them; but it is my opinion, if the poor man profit no more by them, than they do by his lectures, he will foon be in a state of perfect ftarvation.'

A voice was then heard, crying, "Hey, Dutchefs, what the devil are you about, you flut?-ay, to her Pincher? pull away ? tear it from her, boy?"

"Who does he talk to ?" faid Signora

Sporza.

A couple of quadrupeds, Madam," replied Buchanan; "the one is a spaniel,

the

the other a terrier. Thofe young gentle men cannot proceed in their ftudies without them."

Here the door of Mr. Steele's room was opened by a fervant, who faid the antiquarian had fent to know whether they were inclined to go to the Pantheon that day, or to St. Peter's?

"Damn the Pantheon and St. Peter's

both," cried Squander; "tell him we can go to neither at prefent-Zounds! cannot the fellow quietly pocket his money without boring us any more with his temples, and churches, and pictures, and ftatues ?"

Steele, however, finding them determined against attending the antiquarian, followed the fervant, and delivered a more civil meffage.

While he was abfent, Squander, toffing a couple of maps on the floor, cried, "Here, Dutchefs, here is Roma Moderna ;-and there, Pincher-there is Roma Antiqua for you, boy-tear away."

When Steele returned, he endeavoured to fave Rome from the ravages of thofe Goths,

but

but Squander told him with a loud laugh, that Dutchess had made a violent rent in Saint Peter's, and Pincher had torn the Pantheon to pieces.

Squander then proposed that they should walk to the ftable, to examine a mare which he had thoughts of purchafing-Dutchefs and Pincher followed them, and Mr. N— came home foon after.

"I have an unexpected call for money," faid Signora Sporza, interrupting his apologies for having made her wait: " I hope you can let me have it."

I hope I can, faid Mr. N. How much do you need?

"Three or four hundred ounces," replied fhe.

"I am happy that I can, without inconveniency, fpare you four hundred," replied

he.

"I do not think it probable that you will be foon repaid," said she.

"I fhall not need it," replied' Mr. N-. "You are an angel of a man," cried fhe, "give me then an order on my banker

at

at Naples for that fum, for I must send it thither by this day's poft."

Mr. N- directly gave her the order.

"O my good friend!" cried fhe, "I muft not tell you how I come to need this money; but, indeed, it would grieve you if you knew who-." Here Signora Sporza's voice was fuppreffed with grief at the idea of the diftrefs of her two friends, and the tears fell down her cheeks: after a paufe, fhe gave her hand to Mr. N-, who led her to her carriage, without either of them uttering another word.

As foon as Signora Sporza got home, the wrote a moft affectionate letter to Madame de Seidlits, complaining of her having concealed the misfortune of the bankruptcy at Berlin, and the diftrefs in which this accident muft neceffarily have involved her and Laura; and informing her, that the herfelf had unexpectedly recovered fome money for which she had no immediate ufe; fhe begged therefore very earnefly, that Madame de Seidlits would accept of five hundred ounces, which the

could

1