son who styled yourself Miss Herbert, and who
lived, thank God, but for a short time only, in my family?"

"I lived in your family, sir, but I am not the Miss Herbert that Sir
Robert Whitecraft recommended to you."

"I certainly know nothing about you, my good girl," replied Sir Robert,
"nor do I recollect having ever seen you before; but proceed with what
you have to say, and let us hear it at once."

"Yes, sir; but perhaps you are not the gentleman as is known to be Sir
Robert Whitecraft--him as hunts the priests. Oh, la, I'll surely be sent
to jail. Gentlemen, if you promise not to send me to jail, I'll tell you
everything."

"Well, then, proceed," said the squire; "I will not send you to jail,
provided you tell the truth."

"Nor I, my good girl," added Sir Robert, "but upon the same conditions."

"Well, then, gentlemen, I was acquainted with Miss Herbert--she is
Hirish, but I'm English. This gentleman gave her a letter to you,
Mr. Folliard, to get her as maid to Miss Helen--she told me--oh, my
goodness, I shall surely be sent to jail."

"Go on, girl," said the baronet somewhat sternly, by which tone of voice
he intimated--to her that she was pursuing the right course, and she was
quick enough to understand as much.

"Well," she proceeded, "after Miss Herbert had got the letter, she told
her sweetheart, who wouldn't by no means allow her to take service,
because as why, he wanted to marry her; well, she consented, and they
did get married, and both of them left the country because her father
wasn't consenting. As the letter was of no use to her then, I asked her
for it, and offered myself in her name to you, sir, and that was the way
I came into your family for a short time."

The baronet rose up, in well-feigned agitation, and exclaimed,
"Unfortunate girl! whoever you may be, you know not the serious mischief
and unhappiness that your imposture was nearly entailing upon me."

"But did you not say that you bore an illegitimate child to this
gentleman?" asked the squire.

"Oh, la! no, sir; you know I denied that; I never bore an illegitimate
child; I bore a love-child, but not to him; and there is no harm in
that, sure."

"Well, she certainly has exculpated you, Sir Robert."

"Gentlemen, will you excuse and pardon me? and will you promise not to
send me to jail?"

"Go about your business," said Sir Robert, "you unfortunate girl, and be
guilty of no such impostures in future. Your conduct has nearly be