practised every expedient his invention could suggest
to procure an interview; but all his endeavours were unsuccessful,
because I, who little dreamed of his being so near, had gone to bed upon
our first arrival, overwhelmed with affliction and tears. In the morning
I threw myself at my father's feet, and conjured him, by all the ties
of paternal affection, to indulge me with an opportunity of seeing my
admirer once more, before I should be conveyed from his wishes. The
melancholy condition in which I preferred this supplication, melted the
tender heart of my parent, who yielded to my supplications, and carried
me back to town for that purpose.

"Lord W--, who had watched our motions, and arrived at his own lodgings
before we arrived at my father's house, obeyed my summons on the
instant, and appeared before me like an angel. Our faculties were for
some minutes suspended by a conflict of grief and joy. At length I
recovered the use of speech, and gave him to understand, that I was
come to town in order to take my leave of him, by the permission of my
father, whom I had promised to attend into the country next day, before
he would consent to my return; the chief cause and pretence of which
was my earnest desire to convince him, that I was not to blame for the
disappointment he had suffered, and that I should see him again in a
month, when the nuptial knot should be tied in spite of all opposition.

"My lover, who was better acquainted with the world, had wellnigh run
distracted with this information. He swore he would not leave me, until
I should promise to meet and marry him next day; or, if I refused to
grant that request, he would immediately leave the kingdom, to which he
would never more return; and, before his departure, sacrifice Lord H.
B--, son to the Duke of S. A--, who was the only person upon earth who
could have betrayed us to my father, because he alone was trusted with
the secret of our intended marriage, and had actually undertaken to give
me away; an office which he afterwards declined. Lord W-- also affirmed,
that my father decoyed me into the country with a view of cooping me up,
and sequestering me entirely from his view and correspondence.

"In vain I pleaded my father's well-known tenderness, and used all the
arguments I could recollect to divert him from his revenge upon Lord
H--. He was deaf to all my representations, and nothing, I found, would
prevail upon him to suppress his resentment, but a