re's
habitation; here I remained till next morning, allaying the torture of
my impatience with the rapturous hope of seeing that divine creature
after an absence of eighteen months, which, far from impairing, had
raised my love to the most exalted pitch! Neither were my reflections
free from apprehensions: that something intervened in spite of all my
hope, and represented her as having yielded to the importunity of her
brother and blessed the arms of a happy rival. My thoughts were even
maddened with the fear of her death; and, when I arrived in the dark
at the house of Mrs. Sagely, I had not for some time courage to desire
admittance, lest my soul should be shocked with dismal tidings. At
length, however, I knocked, and no sooner certified the good gentlewoman
of my voice than she opened the door, and received me with the most
affectionate embrace, that brought tears into her aged eyes: "For
heaven's sake, dear mother," cried I, "tell me how is Narcissa? is she
the same that I left her?" She blessed my ears with saying, "She is as
beautiful, in as good health, and as much yours as ever." Transported at
this assurance, I begged to know if I could not see her that very night,
when this sage matron gave me to understand that my mistress was in
London, and that things were strangely altered in the squire's house
since my departure; that he had been married a whole year to Melinda,
who at first found means to wean his attention so much from Narcissa,
that he became quite careless of that lovely sister, comforting himself
with the clause in his father's will, by which she should forfeit her
fortune, by marrying without his consent: that my mistress, being but
indifferently treated by her sister-in-law, had made use of her freedom
some months ago, and gone to town, where she was lodged with Miss
Williams, in expectation of my arrival; and had been pestered with the
addresses of Lord Quiverwit, who, finding her heart engaged, had fallen
upon a great many shifts to persuade her that I was dead; but, finding
all his artifices unsuccessful, and despairing of gaining her affection,
he had consoled himself for her indifference, by marrying another lady
some weeks ago, who had already left him on account of some family
uneasiness. Besides this interesting information, she told me there was
not a great deal of harmony between Melinda and the squire, who was so
much disgusted at the number of gallants who continued to hover about
her e