at he parted with them all in high displeasure, and
thought never more to darken any of their doors: that he declared as much
to her two uncles, who came to him on Saturday, to try to accommodate
with him; and who found him preparing to go to London to attend her; and
that, notwithstanding their pressing entreaties, he determined so to do,
and not to go with them to Harlowe-place, or to either of their own
houses; and accordingly dismissed them with such an answer.

'But that her noble letter,' as he calls it, of Aug. 31,* 'being brought
him about an hour after their departure, he thought it might affect them
as much as it did him; and give them the exalted opinion of her virtue
which was so well deserved; he therefore turned his horse's head back
to her uncle Antony's, instead of forwards toward London.

* See Letter XLV. of this volume.

'That accordingly arriving there, and finding her two uncles together, he
read to them the affecting letter; which left none of the three a dry
eye: that the absent, as is usual in such cases, bearing all the load,
they accused her brother and sister; and besought him to put off his
journey to town, till he could carry with him the blessings which she had
formerly in vain solicited for; and (as they hoped) the happy tidings of
a general reconciliation.

'That not doubting but his visit would be the more welcome to her, if
these good ends could be obtained, he the more readily complied with
their desires. But not being willing to subject himself to the
possibility of receiving fresh insult from her brother, he had given her
uncles a copy of her letter, for the family to assemble upon; and desired
to know, as soon as possible, the result of their deliberations.

'He tells her, that he shall bring her up the accounts relating to the
produce of her grandfather's estate, and adjust them with her; having
actually in his hands the arrears due to her from it.

'He highly applauds the noble manner in which she resents your usage of
her. It is impossible, he owns, that you can either deserve her, or to
be forgiven. But as you do justice to her virtue, and offer to make her
all the reparation now in your power; and as she is so very earnest with
him not to resent that usage; and declares, that you could not have been
the author of her calamities but through a strange concurrence of unhappy
causes; and as he is not at a loss to know how to place to a proper
account that strange concur