his journey to Town. During his absence
we faithfully complied with his Desire and after the most mature
Deliberation, at length agreed that the best thing we could do was
to leave the House; of which we every moment expected the officers
of Justice to take possession. We waited therefore with the greatest
impatience, for the return of Edward in order to impart to him the
result of our Deliberations. But no Edward appeared. In vain did we
count the tedious moments of his absence--in vain did we weep--in
vain even did we sigh--no Edward returned--. This was too cruel, too
unexpected a Blow to our Gentle Sensibility--we could not support it--we
could only faint. At length collecting all the Resolution I was Mistress
of, I arose and after packing up some necessary apparel for Sophia and
myself, I dragged her to a Carriage I had ordered and we instantly set
out for London. As the Habitation of Augustus was within twelve miles
of Town, it was not long e'er we arrived there, and no sooner had we
entered Holboun than letting down one of the Front Glasses I enquired of
every decent-looking Person that we passed "If they had seen my Edward?"

But as we drove too rapidly to allow them to answer my repeated
Enquiries, I gained little, or indeed, no information concerning him.
"Where am I to drive?" said the Postilion. "To Newgate Gentle Youth
(replied I), to see Augustus." "Oh! no, no, (exclaimed Sophia) I cannot
go to Newgate; I shall not be able to support the sight of my Augustus
in so cruel a confinement--my feelings are sufficiently shocked by
the RECITAL, of his Distress, but to behold it will overpower my
Sensibility." As I perfectly agreed with her in the Justice of her
Sentiments the Postilion was instantly directed to return into the
Country. You may perhaps have been somewhat surprised my Dearest
Marianne, that in the Distress I then endured, destitute of any support,
and unprovided with any Habitation, I should never once have remembered
my Father and Mother or my paternal Cottage in the Vale of Uske. To
account for this seeming forgetfullness I must inform you of a trifling
circumstance concerning them which I have as yet never mentioned. The
death of my Parents a few weeks after my Departure, is the circumstance
I allude to. By their decease I became the lawfull Inheritress of their
House and Fortune. But alas! the House had never been their own and
their Fortune had only been an Annuity on their own Lives. Such is