t all and like a man of honour saved me from shame by concealing the
fatal secret; and acted the part of a father to my Harriot, without
having any share in my guilt. But I see you do not yet believe me, take
this,' pulling a paper from under her pillow, 'herein you will find an
account of the whole unfortunate affair, written a year ago; lest at the
time of my death I should not be able to relate it; this will prove, by
the nice connection of every circumstance, that the words therein
contained are not the suggestions of madness.'

Miss Selvyn accordingly read as follows:

'When I was seventeen years old, Lord Peyton asked me of my father, but
not till after he had secured my tenderest affections. His estate was
sufficient to content a parent who was not regardless of fortune and
splendour; and his proposals were accepted. But while the tediousness of
the lawyers made us wait for the finishing of settlements, Lord Peyton,
who was in the army, was commanded to repair immediately to his
regiment, then stationed in Ireland. He endeavoured to prevail with my
father to hasten our marriage, offering every kind of security he could
desire, instead of the settlements so long delayed; my wishes concurred
with his, rather than suffer him to go without me into a kingdom which I
imagined would not prove very amusing to him. But my father, who was a
very exact observer of forms, would not consent to any expedient. No
security appeared to him equivalent to settlements; and many trifling
circumstances requisite to the splendour of our first appearance were
not ready; which to him seemed almost as important as the execution of
the marriage writings.

'When Lord Peyton found my father inexorable, he attempted to persuade
me to agree to a private marriage, only desiring, he said, to secure me
entirely his before he left the kingdom; and proposed, that after his
return, we should be publicly married, to prevent my father's suspecting
that we had anticipated his consent. But this I rejected; disobedience
to a parent, and other objections, were sufficient to make me refuse it;
and we saw ourselves reduced to separate when we were so near being
united. As Lord Peyton was an accepted lover, and our intended marriage
was publicly known, and generally approved, he passed great part of his
time with me. My father was obliged to go out of town on particular
business, the day before that appointed for Lord Peyton's departure. It
is natural to s