were my unhappy mother to be troublesome, and resolve to have me, as she is continually threatening?

What a new world opens to me, my Lucy, from the acquaintance I am permitted to hold with this family! God grant that your poor Harriet pay not too dearly for her knowledge! She would, I believe you think, were she to be entangled in a hopeless love.

LETTER XXV.

MISS BYRON.-IN CONTINUATION.

LORD L- came to town from Scotland within two or three months of Sir Charles's arrival in England. His first visit was to the young baronet; who, on my lord's avowing his passion for his sister, and her acknowledging her esteem for him, introduced him to her, and put their hands together, holding them between both his: With pleasure, said he, I join hands where hearts so worthy are united. Do me, my lord, the honour, from this moment, to look upon me as your brother. My father, I find, was a little embarrassed in his affairs. He loved his daughters, and perhaps was loath that they should early claim another protection: but, had he lived to make himself easy, I have no doubt but he would have made them happy. He has left that duty upon me--and I will perform it.

His sister was unable to speak for joy. My lord's tears were ready to start.

My father, proceeded Sir Charles, in one of his letters to me, acquainted me with the state of your lordship's af

fairs. Reckon upon my best services: promise, engage, undertake. The brother, my lord, hopes to make you easy: the sister will make you happy.

Miss Charlotte was affected with this scene; and she prayed, with her hands and eyes lifted up, that God would make his power as large as his heart: the whole world would then, she said, be benefited either by his bounty, or his example.

Do you wonder now, my dear Mr. Reeves, that Miss Grandison, Lady L, and Lord L-, know not how to contain their gratitude, when this beneficent-minded brother is spoken of?

And has not my Charlotte, said he, turning towards her, and looking at Miss Caroline, some happy man, that she can distinguish by her love? You are equally dear to me, my sisters. Make me your confident, Charlotte. Your inclinations shall be my choice.

Dear Miss Grandison, why did you mislead me by your boasts of unreservedness? What room was there for reserves to such a brother?-And yet it is plain, you have not let him know all your heart; and he seems to think so And now you are uneasy at a hint he has thrown out

too.

of that nature.

Two months before the marriage, Sir Charles put into his sister's hands a paper sealed up. Receive these, my Caroline, said he, as from your father's bounty, in compliance with what your mother would have wished, had we been blessed with her life. When you oblige Lord L-with one hand, make him, with the other, this present: and entitle yourself to all the gratitude, with which I know his worthy heart will overflow, on both occasions. I have done but my duty. I have performed only an article of

the will, which I have made in my mind for my father, as time was not lent to make one for himself.

He saluted her, and withdrew, before she broke the seal: and when she did, she found in it bank-notes for 10,000l.

She threw herself into a chair, and was unable for some time to stir; but recovering herself, hurried out to find her brother. She was told, he was in her sister's apartment. She found him not there, but Charlotte in tears. Sir Charles had just left her. What ails my Charlotte?

O this brother, my Caroline!-There is no bearing his generous goodness. See that deed! See that paper that lies upon it! She took it up; and these were the contents of the paper:

I have just now paid my sister Caroline the sum that I think she would have been entitled to expect from my 'father's bounty, and the family circumstances, had life ⚫ been lent him to settle his affairs, and make a will. I have an entire confidence in the discretion of my Charlotte: and have, by the enclosed deed, established for her beyond the power of revocation, that independency as to fortune, to which, from my father's death, I think her entitled. And for this, having acted but as an exe'cutor, I claim no merit, but that of having fulfilled the supposed will of either of our parents, as either survived the other. Cherish, therefore, in your grateful heart, their memory. Remember, that when you marry, you change the name of Grandison. Yet, with all my pride, what is name?-Let the man be worthy of you: and be he who he will that you entitle to your vows, I will embrace him as the brother of

Your affectionate

'CHARLES GRANDISON.'

The deed was for the same sum as he had given her sister, and to carry interest.

The two sisters congratulated, and wept over, each other, as if distressed.-To be sure, they were distressed.

Caroline found out her brother: but when she approached him, could not utter one word of what she had meditated to say: but, dropping down on one knee, blessed him, as she owned, in heart, both for Lord L- and her

self; but could only express her gratitude by her lifted-up hands and eyes.

Just as he had raised and seated her, entered to them the equally grateful Charlotte. He placed her next her sister, and drawing a chair for himself, taking a hand of each, he thus addressed himself to them:

My dearest sisters, you are too sensible of these but due instances of my brotherly love. It has pleased God to take from us our father and mother. We are more than brother and sisters; and must supply to each other the wanting relations. Look upon me only as executor of a will, that ought to have been made, and perhaps would, had time been given. My circumstances are greater than I expected; greater, I dare say, than my father thought they would be. Less than I have done, could not be done, by a brother who had power to do this. You don't know how much you will oblige me, if you never say one word more on this subject. You will act with less dignity than becomes my sisters, if you look upon what I have done in any other light than as your due.

O my aunt! be so good, as to let the servants prepare my apartment at Selby-house. There is no living within the blazing glory of this man! But, for one's comfort, he seems to have one fault; and he owns it-And yet, does not

acknowledgment annihilate that fault!-O no! for he thinks not of correcting it. This fault is pride. Do you mind what a stress he lays now-and-then on the familyname? and, as above, dignity, says he, that becomes my sisters!-Proud mortal!-O, my Lucy! he is proud; too proud, I doubt, as well as too considerable in his fortunes -What would I say?—Yet, I know who would study to make him the happiest of men-Spare me, spare me here, my uncle; or rather, skip over this passage, Lucy.

Sir Charles, at the end of eight months from his father's death, gave Caroline, with his own hand, to Lord L

Charlotte has two humble servants, Lord G—— and Sir Walter Watkyns, as you have seen in my former letters; but likes not either of them.

Lord L carried his lady down to Scotland, where she was greatly admired and caressed by all his relations. How happy for your Harriet was their critically-proposed return, which carried down Sir Charles and Miss Charlotte to prepare every thing at Colnebrook for their reception!

Sir Charles accompanied my Lord and Lady L-as far on the way to Scotland as York; where he made a visit to Mrs. Eleanor Grandison, his father's maiden sister, who resides there. She, having heard of his goodness to his sisters, and to every body else, with whom he had concerns, longed to see him; and on this occasion rejoiced in the opportunity he gave her to congratulate, to bless, and applaud, her nephew.

What multitudes of things have I further to tell you, relating to this strange man!-Let me call him names.

I inquired after the history of the good Dr. Bartlett: but the ladies said, as they knew not the whole of it, they would refer me to the doctor himself. They knew how