way, which was more than they could do, for I fell
into strong fits, and in the interim they turned the girl out of the
house, who was fully bent on revenge.

My lord, as I now called him, was gone out a-hunting. I was satisfied he
knew nothing of it, as yet, and when Amy and I were thoroughly come to
ourselves, we thought it most advisable to find the girl out, and give
her a handsome sum of money to keep her quiet. So Amy went out, but in
all her searching could hear nothing of her; this made me very uneasy. I
guessed she would contrive to see my lord before he came home, and so it
proved, as you shall presently hear.

When night came on, that I expected his return, I wondered I did not see
him. Amy sat up in my chamber with me, and was as much concerned as was
possible. Well, he did not come in all that night, but the next morning,
about ten o'clock, he rapped at the door, with the girl along with him.
When it was opened, he went into the great parlour, and bid Thomas go
call down his lady. This was the crisis. I now summoned up all my
resolution, and took Amy down with me, to see if we could not baffle the
girl, who, to an inch, was her mother's own child.

It will be necessary here to give a short account of our debate, because
on it all my future misery depended, and it made me lose my husband's
love, and own my daughter; who would not rest there, but told my lord
how many brothers and sisters she had.

When we entered the room, my lord was walking very gravely about it, but
with his brows knit, and a wild confusion in his face, as if all the
malice and revenge of a Dutchman had joined to put me out of countenance
before I spoke a word.

"Pray, madam," says he, "do you know this young woman? I expect a speedy
and positive answer, without the least equivocation."

"Really, my lord," replied I, "to give you an answer as quick as you
desire, I declare I do not."

"Do not!" said he, "what do you mean by that? She tells me that you are
her mother, and that her father ran away from you, and left two sons,
and two daughters besides herself, who were all sent to their relations
for provision, after which you ran away with a jeweller to Paris. Do you
know anything of this? answer me quickly."

"My lord," said the girl, "there is Mrs. Amy, who was my mother's
servant at the time (as she told me herself about three months ago),
knows very well I am the person I pretend to be, and caused me to be
thrown into jail for