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for me to keep any thing in any of these rooms, there are ftoats or weafels that breed about the holes in the battered walls. I faw one of them t'other day run across the paffage."

Althea remembering this, and finding not only the appearance of the animal fhe had feen accounted for, but the noifes alfo which alarmed the lurking fuperftition of Mrs. Wansford, no longer felt any reluctance to renew her walks in this great room. Here the good woman of the houfe, on Althea's report, agreed again to hang her clothes after a great wall.

"It dries," fays fhe, "there, as well as if 'twas out upon the green; and then no wet can trouble us-fo that it would be a thousand pities to give up fuch a convenient place."

From this period the gardening of the children, and the economy of their mother's bleaching operations, occafioned the room to be frequently vifited, VOL. II. Some

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Some days paffed without any remarkable occurrence: Althea vifited her old friend Mrs. Mofely, and was furprised to find that no letter had been received from Mrs. Marchmont. In converfation with the ancient woman, Althea related the ftrange circumstance of Vampyre's inquiry at Eaftwoodleigh. Mrs. Mosely answered coldly, that she had heard of it; and immediately transferring the difcourfe, from the oddness of the vifit, to the character of the man who had made it, fhe faid, that he was accounted the greateft rogue within three counties" Aye, Mifs, and as I believe in all England-1 hope it does not produce his fellow."

With the ufual garrulity of her age, Mrs. Mofely then began to tell feveral ftories about him that had happened within her own knowledge; by which it appeared, that certain ruin followed wherever this difgrace to his profeffion and to human nature once infixed his empoisoned

empoisoned fangs; and that his infidious. friendship was not lefs fatal to his em ployers, who were always his dupes, than was his enmity to thofe against whom they engaged him.

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Many," said she, "aye, very many are the poor people whom he has un done who have died in jail-and whose children have been turned out to beg gary, or have gone to the parifh. But, alas-a-day! nobody had more reafon to know what a cruel villain he was than my late dear mafter; and fure I am, that Sir Audley Dacres could never know what a hard thing he did when he put any matters against Mr. Marchmont into the management of this man. If it had not been for that, perhaps—but what is the ufe now of talking? What is to be, is to be; and what God pleases to direct is for the best."

Althea was too much hurt at the idea that her father had accelerated the ruin of Mr. Marchmont's family, to continue

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the converfation. She bade her folitary friend a good evening, therefore, and walked penfively homeward, reflecting how strange it was, that, in a country celebrated for its equal laws, a fet of men fhould exift, who, when they are difhoneft, contrive by means of the abuse of thofe laws to inflict more miferies on individuals than can otherwise be produced in human life, fave only those which follow the abfurdity, madness, and wickedness of war.

CHAP.

CHAP. V.

One out of fuits with fortune.

THOUGH fpring now vifibly advanced, there were ftill many disagreeable and variable days before it was probable Althea could make thofe excurfions into the country around, which promised her the only pleasure it was likely to afford her.-The afternoons now grew long, but there was little temptation to walk-unlefs in the banqueting-room or gallery, taking a book with her. Thither fhe was generally accompanied by the little Wansfords, whofe cheerful voices as they ran about relieved (without difturbing her F 3 meditations)

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