these last incapacitating hours. Nothing either to say, or to
do--I bless God, I have not. If I had, how unhappy should I be! Can
you, Sir, remind me of any thing necessary to be done or said to make
your office easy?

If, Madam, your cousin Morden should come, you would be glad to see him,
I presume?

I am too weak to wish to see my cousin now. It would but discompose me,
and him too. Yet, if he come while I can see him, I will see him, were
it but to thank him for former favours, and for his present kind
intentions to me. Has any body been here from him?

He has called, and will be here, Madam, in half an hour; but he feared to
surprise you.

Nothing can surprise me now, except my mamma were to favour me with her
last blessing in person. That would be a welcome surprise to me, even
yet. But did my cousin come purposely to town to see me?

Yes, Madam, I took the liberty to let him know, by a line last Monday,
how ill you were.

You are very kind, Sir. I am, and have been greatly obliged to you. But
I think I shall be pained to see him now, because he will be concerned to
see me. And yet, as I am not so ill as I shall presently be--the sooner
he comes the better. But if he come, what shall I do about the screen?
He will chide me, very probably, and I cannot bear chiding now. Perhaps,
[leaning upon Mrs. Lovick and Mrs. Smith,] I can walk into the next
apartment to receive him.

She motioned to rise, but was ready to faint again, and forced to sit
still.

The Colonel was in a perfect agitation behind the screen to hear this
discourse; and twice, unseen by his cousin, was coming from it towards
her; but retreated for fear of surprising her too much.

I stept to him, and favoured his retreat; she only saying, Are you going,
Mr. Belford? Are you sent for down? Is my cousin come? For she heard
somebody step softly across the room, and thought it to be me; her
hearing being more perfect than her sight.

I told her, I believed he was; and she said, We must make the best of it,
Mrs. Lovick, and Mrs. Smith. I shall otherwise most grievously shock my
poor cousin: for he loved me dearly once.--Pray give me a few of the
doctor's last drops in water, to keep up my spirits for this one
interview; and that is all, I believe, that can concern me now.

The Colonel, (who heard all this,) sent in his name; and I, pretending to
go down to him, introduced the afflicted gentleman; she having first
ordered the sc