y sir Edward into the care of the housekeeper, who had orders
from lady Harriot to see her put to bed and properly attended to, for
again this wretched woman had fallen into a fit.

Ann would have followed my mother, but sir Edward brought her back,
telling her that she should see her when she was better. He then led
Ann towards lady Harriot, desiring her to embrace her child; she did
so, and I saw her, as I had phrased it in the play, _clasped in her
mother's arms_.

This scene had greatly affected the spirits of lady Harriot; through
the whole of it it was with difficulty she had been kept from
fainting, and she was now led into the drawing-room by the ladies.
The gentlemen followed, talking with sir Edward of the astonishing
instance of filial affection they had just seen in the earnest
pleadings of the child for her supposed mother.

Ann too went with them, and was conducted by her whom I had always
considered as my own particular friend. Lady Elizabeth took hold of
her hand, and said, "Miss Lesley, will you permit me to conduct you to
the drawing-room?"

I was left weeping behind the chair where lady Harriot had sate, and,
as I thought, quite alone. A something had before twitched my frock
two or three times, so slightly I had scarcely noticed it; a little
head now peeped round, and looking up in my face said, "She is not
miss Lesley:" it was the young Augustus; he had been sitting at my
feet, but I had not observed him. He then started up, and taking hold
of my hand with one of his, with the other holding fast by my clothes,
he led, or rather dragged me, into the midst of the company assembled
in the drawing-room. The vehemence of his manner, his little face as
red as fire, caught every eye. The ladies smiled, and one gentleman
laughed in a most unfeeling manner. His elder brother patted him on
the head, and said, "You are a humane little fellow. Elizabeth, we
might have thought of this."

Very kind words were now spoken to me by sir Edward, and he called me
Harriot, precious name now grown to me. Lady Harriot kissed me, and
said she would never forget how long she had loved me as her child.
These were comfortable words; but I heard echoed round the room, "Poor
thing, she cannot help it.--I am sure she is to be pitied.--Dear lady
Harriot, how kind, how considerate you are!" Ah! what a deep sense of
my altered condition did I then feel!

"Let the young ladies divert themselves in another room," said sir
Edw