to withstand; especially when I considered his intimacy
with our squire, to whom I knew he could justify himself for what he had
done, by imputing it to his love, and desiring his brother Bruin to take
the same liberty with his sister, without any fear of offence.

When we arrived at the house, Narcissa assured me she would exert all
her influence in protecting me from the revenge of Thicket, and likewise
engage her aunt in my favour. At the same time, pulling out her purse,
offered it as a small consideration for the service I had done her.
But I stood too much upon the punctilios of love to incur the least
suspicion of being mercenary, and refused the present, by saying I had
merited nothing by barely doing my duty. She seemed astonished at my
disinterestedness, and blushed: I felt the same suffusion, and, with
a downcast eye and broken accent, told her I had one request to make,
which, if her generosity would grant, I should think myself fully
recompensed, for an age of misery. She changed colour at this preamble,
and, with great confusion, replied, she hoped my good sense would hinder
me from asking anything she was bound in honour to refuse, and therefore
bade me signify my desire. Upon which I kneeled, and engaged to kiss
her hand. She immediately, with an averted look, stretched it out: I
imprinted on it an ardent kiss, and, bathing it with my tears, cried,
"Dear Madam, I am an unfortunate gentleman, and love you to distraction,
but would have died a thousand deaths rather than make this declaration
under such a servile appearance, were I not determined to yield to the
rigour of my fate, to fly from your bewitching presence, and bury my
presumptuous passion in eternal silence." With these words I rose, and
went away before she could recover her spirits so far as to make any
reply.

My first care was to go and consult Mrs. Sagely, with whom I had
entertained a friendly correspondence ever since I left her house. When
she understood my situation, the good woman, with real concern, condoled
with me on my unhappy fate, and approved of my resolution to leave
the country, as being perfectly well acquainted with the barbarous
disposition of my rival, "who, by this time," said she, "has no doubt
meditated a scheme of revenge. Indeed, I cannot see how you will be
able to elude his vengeance; being himself in the commission, he will
immediately grant warrants for apprehending you; and, as almost all the
people in this cou