rs to gratify each other as well as
ourselves, and the result of our efforts soon led, much to the
satisfaction of both parties, in the temporary subjugation of both the
contending forces. Gratified by finding that the issue had been much
more satisfactory than I had expected, and not having had an
opportunity for some time previously of indulging myself so agreeably,
I, much to her surprise and joy, retained possession of the stronghold
with my forces so slightly weakened by their late defeat as to give
immediate promise of a renewed attack.

Telling her to be still for a few minutes and that we should shortly
enjoy ourselves again, I began to question her regarding the matters in
which I felt interested. I thought it better at first not to allude to
Laura, so I commenced by inquiring about John, and I soon found that
the one subject led to the other. It appeared that John was the
under-groom whose duty it was to attend upon Miss Laura when she rode
out. John had courted Betsy for some time previously and had been
admitted to all the privileges of a husband on condition that he should
marry her as soon as he could obtain a situation which would enable him
to support her.

Betsy, it seems, was rather jealous, and John, to teaze her, had
pretended that he was on terms of intimacy with his young Mistress, a
statement for which there was not the slightest foundation. Betsy's
suspicions, however, being once roused, were not easily set at rest,
and this led her to pay more attention than previously to her young
Mistress's proceedings. She had sometimes wondered what induced Laura
to go out by herself almost every morning before breakfast, and now
fancying that it might be for the purpose of meeting John, she resolved
to watch her and ascertain if her suspicions were correct. She
accordingly followed her, and found that she invariably made her way to
a small summer house at a little distance from the house. Here John
never made his appearance, but curious to know what Laura was about,
Betsy continued her spying until she one day ascertained that, instead
of amusing herself with John's article, Miss Laura resorted to the
place for the purpose of consoling herself with a very insufficient
substitute for what Betsy had suspected to be the offending member.

As Laura slept in the same room with her aunt she had no opportunity of
thus indulging herself.

I drew all this gradually from her, leading her on by degrees, and
tryin