nd conveying it to the carriage in waiting, drive off
secure in his victory. The scheme was put in practice, and succeeded to
the full extent of the projector's wishes; but the affair, which made
considerable noise at the time, and was the subject of some official
remonstrances, had nearly ended in a more serious manner. The brother of
the lady was an officer in the army, and both the descendants of a poor
but ancient family; the indignity offered to his name, and the seduction
of his sister, called forth the retributive feelings of a just revenge;
he sought out the offender, challenged him, but gave him the option of
redeeming his sister's honour and his own by marriage. Alas! that
was impossible; the earl was already engaged. A meeting took place,
~39~~when, reflection and good sense having recovered their influence
over the mind of the dissipated lover, he offered every atonement in his
power, professed a most unlimited regard for the lady, suggested that
his destruction would leave her, in her then peculiar state, exposed to
indigence, proposed to protect her, and settle an annuity of two hundred
pounds per annum upon her for her life; and thus circumstanced the
brother acceded, and the affair was, by this interposition of the
seconds, amicably arranged. There are those yet living who remember the
fair _limonadiere_ first coming to this country, and they bear testimony
to her superior attractions. The lady lived for some years in a state
of close retirement, under the protection of the noble earl, in the
neighbourhood of Chelsea, and the issue of that connexion was a natural
son, Mr. Debouchette, whom report states to be the father of Harriette
Wilson and her sisters.

'Ere man's corruptions made him wretched, he
Was born most noble, who was born most free.'
--Otway.

So thought young Debouchette; for a more wild and giddy fellow.in early
life has seldom figured among the medium order of society. Whether the
mother of the Cyprians was really honoured with the ceremony of the
ritual, I have no means of knowing," said Crony; "but I well remember
the lady, before these her beauteous daughters had trodden the slippery
paths of pleasure: there was a something about her that is undefinable
in language, but conveys to the mind impressions of no very pure
principles of morality; a roving eye, salacious person, and swaggering
carriage, with a most inviting condescension, always particularized t