news of consequence to Lady Mary, but she was little
inclined to believe it and enquired what proof there was of this fact.
The young lady replied that she had it from a relation of hers lately
arrived at Scarborough who having been often in Mr Lenman's
neighbourhood, was well acquainted both with him and his wife, and had
in a pretty large company where she was present asked him after Mrs
Lenman's health, to which he made as short an answer as he could, but
such as shewed there was such a person, and his confusion on this
question made her relation enquire what could be the meaning of it,
which all the company could easily explain.

Lady Mary was prodigiously disconcerted with this intelligence; her
informer imagined the visible agitation of her spirits proceeded from
her attachment to Mr Lenman, but in reality it was the effect of terror.
She was frighted to think how near she was becoming the object of
general ridicule and disgrace, wedded to a married man and duped by his
cunning; for she immediately perceived why her aunt was not to be let
into the secret. How contemptible a figure must she afterwards have made
in the world! There was something in this action of Mr Lenman's very
uncommon, fashionable vices and follies had in her opinion received a
sanction from custom, but this was of a different and a deeper dye; and
little as she had been used to reflect on good and evil in any other
light than as pleasant and unpleasant, she conceived a horror at this
action.

After her visitor departed, she began to reflect on the luckiness of the
overturn which had obstructed her rash design, and admiring her good
fortune, would certainly have offered rich sacrifices on the shrine of
Chance had there been a temple there erected to that deity.

While her mind was filled with these impressions, the nurse, who had
attended her in her sickness, and was not yet dismissed, entered the
room crying with joy and told her, that she had just received the news
of the ship's being lost wherein her son was to have embarked, had he
not been seized with a fit of sickness two days before it set sail,
which made it impossible for him to go on board. The poor woman was
profuse in her acknowledgements for God's great mercy, who had by this
means prevented the destruction of her dear child. 'To be sure,' added
she, 'I shall never again repine at any thing that happens to me. How
vexed I was at this disappointment, and thought myself the most
un