ll my misfortunes, and since then I have had every reason
to believe my confiding father was prompted to insert it, at the
suggestion of my artful stepmother. For some time, she had, at every
opportunity, been speaking of foolish marriages made by young women, and
their fatal consequences, illustrating them by numerous anecdotes and
examples, whereby she invidiously prepared him for her selfish purpose,
and at last compassed her object without the appearance of a dictation
which he would have spurned. I was thus left at the mercy of this
designing woman, who, when she put on her widow's robes, put off her
hypocrisy towards me, and began to appear in her true colours. Alas! I
have every reason to think that her acting had all along been irksome to
her. She became harsh and cruel, doing all she could to make the house
and her presence disagreeable to me. She became gay, and frequented
company, of which I was forced to partake; and when I could scarce
refrain from tears at the remembrance of some cutting speech she had
used to me only a few hours before, I was forced to smile to hide my
chagrin. Before strangers, there was no change towards me, neither was
there anything I could complain of to my acquaintance; for so artfully
did she manage to make me miserable, that every fault was imputable to
my own apparent bad temper. It was when alone that I experienced her
bitter manner. All was wrong I said or did, and her admonitions for my
amendment were more cutting than her reproofs and abuse. I had several
eligible offers for my hand; all of which she refused, under one
pretence or another--covering her designs against me by the mask of an
anxiety for my happiness; so that she was looked upon by all who were
acquainted with her as the best of stepmothers--the kindest protector of
youth. At length, her wishes were accomplished. A nephew of her own, by
her invitation, came to reside with us for a short time, upon a visit.
As if my good genius warned me of my fate, I disliked him so much at
first, that I felt unhappy in his presence; but his assiduities
gradually won upon me. I contrasted him with his aunt; love succeeded
to aversion; and I was ruined.'

Here a burst of tears for a time choked her utterance. After some time,
she resumed--

'I was now, for a time, happy in the delirium of youthful love. His
tender attentions had completely won my heart. With a thrill of
pleasure, covered by maiden modesty, I heard his first decla