force as in a country boasting of its enlarged humanity and perfect freedom. Such was the fad fate of Marchmont, that though guilty of no crime, and though he had devoted himself to dif tre from the pureft motives of integrity and filial piety, he now found himfelf purfued like a felon, and had the horrors of perpetual confinement before his eyes. CHAP. CHAP. II. The tenant of a night-haunted ruin! ACCUSTOMED infenfibly to her folitude, Althea paffed her time without murmuring. Her mind compelled thus to exert its strength at fo early a period; and her education having been fuch as had not enfeebled while it ornamented her excellent understanding, she not only became reconciled to a fituation which to moft young women would have been intolerable, but every day learned to rejoice at the election fhe had made, and compare the melancholy tranquillity of her present fituation with the fplendid wretchedness to which an union. with Mohun would have condemned her. Believing that, unless fhe could fell herfelf to fome equally odious connection, the fmallness of her fortune and the peculiar circumstances of her fituation (held down as fhe was by the felfifh policy of Lady Dacres) would prevent her ever marrying, the thought of paffing her life, if not always in as folitary a manner as the now lived, yet certainly in a fingle ftate; and when the recollected all her aunt was, fhe thought of this rather with complacency than regret. Without predilection in favour of any one (for the infant preference fhe had felt for Marchmont could hardly be called fo), fhe tried to look forward with cheerfulness to the few and fimple duties that in fuch a fituation, and with fo fmall a fortune, fhe had to fulfil. There is no ftate of life in which objects for fuch duties may not be found; but none more forcibly attracted her benevolence than the poor old woman Mrs. Mofely, to whofe cot tage tage her lonely rambles were the most frequently directed, and who was become her regular penfioner. This little hut, for it was hardly more, confifting of only two fmall rooms on the ground, and two of the fame fize under the thatched roof, was now by the bounty of Althea rendered as comfortable as it would admit of, and the general condition of its inhabitant much ameliorated. Yet while this poor helplefs being inceffantly bleffed the confiderate kindness of her young benefactrefs, Althea observed something in her manner which indicated fome preffure of the mind-fomething that feemed not to belong to fear of future poverty, and she was in no immediate want; but, on the contrary, acknowledged herself to be furrounded with many and unexpected comforts. There were however, at times, fuch symptoms of a pre-occupied mind, or fome peculiar interest affecting it, in the deportment of Mrs. Mofely, that VOL. II. Althea C Althea was fometimes tempted to doubt whether she was not, as the people of the country believed, privy to fome fecret. Yet of what nature could it be? That he was acquainted with a concealed treasure buried fomewhere in the domains of her ancient mafter, feemed, very improbable; fince the Marchmont family could not have been reduced to diftrefs, had they poffeffed fuch a refource; and that the indigence of poor Mrs. Mofely herself was but too real, there were proofs enough.-Yet why did she sometimes, when Althea was with her, start at every found, appear hurried, breathless, and confused; look eagerly from her little window, and with difficulty command herself so as to fhew that attention the presence of her benefactress demanded? Althea often attempted to discover the cause of all this, but was obliged to content herself with the excuses Mrs. Mofely made; that it was owing to the terrors and hurries fhe had |