selected
two of whom he heard the best character, and were most likely to be
faithful to the trust reposed in them, giving as great a charge, and as
handsome an allowance with them, as could have been expected from a
father. Indeed he doubtless had passed for being so in the opinion of
every body, had he arrived sooner in the kingdom; but the shortness of
the time not permitting any such suggestion, he was looked upon as a
prodigy of charity and goodness.

Having in this handsome manner disposed of his new guests, he began to
examine all his servants, thinking it impossible they should be brought
there without the privity of some one of them; but all his endeavours
could get him no satisfaction in this point. He read the letter over and
over, yet still his curiosity was as far to seek as ever.--The hand he
was entirely unacquainted with, but thought there was something in the
style that showed it wrote by no mean person: the hint contained in it,
that there was some latent reason for addressing him in particular on
this account, was very puzzling to him: he could not conceive why he,
any more than any other gentleman of the county, should have an interest
in the welfare of these children: he had no near relations, and those
distant ones who claimed an almost forgotten kindred were not in a
condition to abandon their progeny.--The thing appeared strange to him;
but all his endeavours to give him any farther light into it being
unsuccessful; he began to imagine the parents of the children had been
compelled by necessity to expose them, and had had only wrote in this
mysterious manner to engage a better reception: he also accounted in his
mind for their being left with him, as, he being a batchelor, and having
a large estate, it might naturally be supposed there would be fewer
impediments to their being taken care of, than either where a wife was
in the case, or a narrow fortune obliged the owner to preserve a greater
oeconomy in expences.

Being at last convinced within himself that he had now explained this
seeming riddle, he took no farther trouble about whose, or what these
children were, but resolved to take care of them during their infancy,
and afterwards to put them into such a way as he should find their
genius's rendered them most fit for, in order to provide for themselves.

On his leaving the county, he ordered his housekeeper to furnish every
thing needful for them as often as they wanted it, and to take ca