waited therefore with the greatest impatience, for the return of

Edward in order to impart to him the result of our Deliberations.
But no Edward appeared. In vain did we count the tedious moments

of his absence--in vain did we weep--in vain even did we sigh--no
Edward returned--. This was too cruel, too unexpected a Blow to

our Gentle Sensibility--we could not support it--we could only
faint. At length collecting all the Resolution I was Mistress

of, I arose and after packing up some necessary apparel for
Sophia and myself, I dragged her to a Carriage I had ordered and

we instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly set out for London. As the Habitation of Augustus
was within twelve miles of Town, it was not long e'er we arrived

there, and no sooner had we entered Holboun than letting down one
of the Front Glasses I enquired of every decent-looking Person

that we passed "If they had seen my Edward?"
But as we drove too rapidly to allow them to answer my repeated

Enquiries, I gained little, or indeed, no information concerning
him. "Where am I to drive?" said the Postilion. "To Newgate

Gentle Youth (replied I), to see Augustus." "Oh! no, no,
(exclaimed Sophia) I cannot go to Newgate; I shall not be able to

support the sight of my Augustus in so cruel a confinement--my
feelings are sufficiently shocked by the RECITAL, of his

Distress, but to behold it will overpower my Sensibility." As I
perfectly agreed with her in the Justice of her Sentiments the

Postilion was instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly directed to return into the Country. You
may perhaps have been somewhat surprised my Dearest Marianne,

that in the Distress I then endured, destitute of any support,
and unprovided with any Habitation, I should never once have

remembered my Father and Mother or my paternal Cottage in the
Vale of Uske. To account for this seeming forgetfullness I must

inform you of a trifling circumstance concerning them which I
have as yet never mentioned. The death of my Parents a few weeks

after my Departure, is the circumstance I allude to. By their
decease I became the lawfull Inheritress of their House and

Fortune. But alas! the House had never been their own and their
Fortune had only been an Annuity on their own Lives. Such is the

Depravity of the World! To your Mother I should have returned
with Pleasure, should have been happy to have introduced to her,

my charming Sophia and should with Chearfullness have passed the
remainder of my Life in their dear Society in the Vale of Uske,

had not one obstacle to the execution of so agreable a scheme,
intervened; which was the Marriage and Removal of your Mother to

a distant part of Ireland.
Adeiu

Laura.
LETTER 11th

LAURA in continuation
"I have a Relation in Scotland (said Sophia to me as we left

London) who I am certain would not hesitate in receiving me."
"Shall I order the Boy to drive there?" said I--but instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly

recollecting myself, exclaimed, "Alas I fear it will be too long
a Journey for the Horses." Unwilling however to act only from my

own inadequate Knowledge of the Strength and Abilities of Horses,
I consulted the Postilion, who was entirely of my Opinion

concerning the Affair. We therefore determined to change Horses
at the next Town and to travel Post the remainder of the Journey

--. When we arrived at the last Inn we were to stop at, which
was but a few miles from the House of Sophia's Relation,

unwilling to intrude our Society on him unexpected and unthought
of, we wrote a very elegant and well penned Note to him

containing an account of our Destitute and melancholy Situation,
and of our intention to spend some months with him in Scotland.

As soon as we had dispatched this Letter, we immediately prepared
to follow it in person and were stepping into the Carriage for

that Purpose when our attention was attracted by the Entrance of
a coroneted Coach and 4 into the Inn-yard. A Gentleman

considerably advanced in years descended from it. At his first
Appearance my Sensibility was wonderfullyaffected and e'er I had

gazed at him a 2d time, an instinctive" target="_blank" title="a.本能的，天性的">instinctivesympathy whispered to my
Heart, that he was my Grandfather. Convinced that I could not be

mistaken in my conjecture I instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantlysprang from the Carriage I
had just entered, and following the Venerable Stranger into the

Room he had been shewn to, I threw myself on my knees before him
and besought him to acknowledge me as his Grand Child. He

started, and having attentively examined my features, raised me
from the Ground and throwing his Grand-fatherly arms around my

Neck, exclaimed, "Acknowledge thee! Yes dear resemblance of my
Laurina and Laurina's Daughter, sweet image of my Claudia and my

Claudia's Mother, I do acknowledge thee as the Daughter of the
one and the Grandaughter of the other." While he was thus

tenderly embracing me, Sophia astonished at my precipitate
Departure, entered the Room in search of me. No sooner had she

caught the eye of the venerable Peer, than he exclaimed with
every mark of Astonishment --"Another Grandaughter! Yes, yes, I

see you are the Daughter of my Laurina's eldest Girl; your
resemblance to the beauteous Matilda sufficiently proclaims it.

"Oh!" replied Sophia, "when I first beheld you the instinct of
Nature whispered me that we were in some degree related--But

whether Grandfathers, or Grandmothers, I could not pretend to
determine." He folded her in his arms, and whilst they were

tenderly embracing, the Door of the Apartment opened and a most
beautifull young Man appeared. On perceiving him Lord St. Clair

started and retreating back a few paces, with uplifted Hands,
said, "Another Grand-child! What an unexpected Happiness is

this! to discover in the space of 3 minutes, as many of my
Descendants! This I am certain is Philander the son of my

Laurina's 3d girl the amiable Bertha; there wants now but the
presence of Gustavus to compleat the Union of my Laurina's Grand-

Children."
"And here he is; (said a Gracefull Youth who that instant entered

the room) here is the Gustavus you desire to see. I am the son
of Agatha your Laurina's 4th and youngest Daughter," "I see you

are indeed; replied Lord St. Clair--But tell me (continued he
looking fearfully towards the Door) tell me, have I any other

Grand-children in the House." "None my Lord." "Then I will
provide for you all without farther delay--Here are 4 Banknotes

of 50L each--Take them and remember I have done the Duty of a
Grandfather." He instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly left the Room and immediately

afterwards the House.
Adeiu,

Laura.
LETTER the 12th

LAURA in continuation
You may imagine how greatly we were surprised by the sudden

departure of Lord St Clair. "Ignoble Grand-sire!" exclaimed
Sophia. "Unworthy Grandfather!" said I, and instantly" target="_blank" title="ad.立即，立刻">instantly fainted in

each other's arms. How long we remained in this situation I know
not; but when we recovered we found ourselves alone, without

either Gustavus, Philander, or the Banknotes. As we were
deploring our unhappy fate, the Door of the Apartment opened and

"Macdonald" was announced. He was Sophia's cousin. The haste
with which he came to our releif so soon after the receipt of our

Note, spoke so greatly in his favour that I hesitated not to
pronounce him at first sight, a tender and simpathetic Freind.

Alas! he little deserved the name--for though he told us that he
was much concerned at our Misfortunes, yet by his own account it

appeared that the perusal of them, had neither drawn from him a
single sigh, nor induced him to bestow one curse on our

vindictive stars--. He told Sophia that his Daughter depended on
her returning with him to Macdonald-Hall, and that as his

Cousin's freind he should be happy to see me there also. To
Macdonald-Hall, therefore we went, and were received with great

kindness by Janetta the Daughter of Macdonald, and the Mistress
of the Mansion. Janetta was then only fifteen; naturally well

disposed, endowed with a susceptible Heart, and a simpathetic