conceived
for Miss Selvyn. She forbore informing Lady Mary Jones, though their
correspondence was frequent, of Lord Robert's courtship; she did not
doubt but her ladyship was sincere when she assured her she now beheld
him with the indifference he deserved, but thought that to tell her she
had received so very different an address from him would bear too much
the air of a triumph, a meanness which her heart abhorred.

Lady Emilia and Miss Selvyn had lived several years in the country with
great rational enjoyment, when the former was seized with a fever. All
the skill of her physicians proved ineffectual, and her distemper
increased daily. She was sensible of the danger which threatened her
life, but insisted on their telling her, if they had any great hopes of
her recovery, assuring them that it was of importance to her to know
their opinions with the utmost frankness. Thus urged, they confessed
they had but little hopes. She then returned them thanks for their care,
but still more for their sincerity: and with the greatest composure took
leave of them, desiring to be left alone with Miss Selvyn, who was in
tears at her bedside. Every one else withdrew, when taking Miss Selvyn
in her arms, and shedding a few silent tears, she afterwards thus
addressed her.

'At the moment that I must bid you a long farewell, you will know that
you have a mother in her whom you before thought only your friend. Yes,
my dearest Harriot, I am your mother, ashamed of my weakness and shocked
at my guilt, while your gentle but virtuous eyes could reproach your
unhappy parent, I could not prevail on myself to discover this secret to
you, but I cannot carry to my grave the knowledge of a circumstance
which concerns you. Yes, you are my daughter, my child, ever most dear
to me, though the evidence and continual remembrancer of my crime.'

Miss Selvyn imagined the distemper had now seized Lady Emilia's brain,
which it had hitherto spared; and intreated her to compose herself,
assuring her that what so much agitated her decaying frame was only the
phantom of an overheated imagination; for her parents were well known,
neither was there any mystery in her birth.

'Oh!' interrupted Lady Emilia, 'do not suspect me of delirium; it has
pleased the Almighty to spare my senses throughout this severe disorder,
with a gracious design of allowing me even the last moments of my life
to complete my repentance. What I tell you is but true, Mr Selvyn knew
i