owever, as there was no remedy, and he considered, that the longer to
keep them in suspense, would only be adding to the cruelty of the
disappointment; he sent one morning for the yeoman to come to his
house, and after ushering in what he was about to say, with some
reflections on the instability of human affairs, told him that some
accidents had happened, which rendered it highly inconvenient for him
to think of marrying;--that he had the utmost respect and good will
for Laetitia, and that if there were not indissoluble impediments to
hinder him from taking a wife, she should be still his choice, above
any woman he knew in the world;--that he wished her happy with any
other man, and to contribute to making her so, as also by way of
atonement for his enforced leaving her, he would give her five hundred
pounds, as an addition to her fortune.

This was the substance of what he said; but though he delivered it in
the softest terms he could possibly make use of, he could find it was
not well received by the old man; his countenance, however, a little
cleared up at the closure of it:--the five hundred pounds was somewhat
of a sweetener to the bitter pill; and after expatiating, according to
his way, on the ungenerosity of engaging a young maid's affection, and
afterwards forsaking her, he threw in some shrewd hints, that as
accidents had happened to change his mind as to marriage, others might
also happen, which would have the same effect, in relation to the
present he now seemed to intend for her.

'To prevent that,' cried Natura hastily, 'you shall take it home with
you'; and with these words turned to a cabinet, and took out the sum
he had mentioned; after counting it over, he put it into a bag, and
delivered it to the yeoman, saying at the same time, that though it
might not be so proper to come to his house, yet if he would send to
him in any exigence, he should find him ready to assist him; 'for you
may depend,' added he, 'that though I cannot be your son, I shall
always be your friend.'

These words, and the money together, rendered the yeoman more content
than Natura had expected he would be; and by that he hoped he knew his
daughter had not imbibed any passion for him, which she would find
much difficulty in getting rid of, and that this augmentation to her
portion, would very well compensate for the loss of a husband, of more
than twice her years.

A small time evinced, that Natura had not been altogether mista