more desirous
of seeing him in his way to the Hall, because he wanted to know if his
lordship held his mind as to marriage. He assured him he did, and would
sign and seal to whatever he should stipulate for him.

I wished for a copy of this part of Sir Charles's letter, for the sake of
my aunt, whose delicacy would, I thought, be charmed with it. He has
been so good as to say, he would transcribe it for me. I will enclose
it, Lucy; and you will read it here:

I cannot, my lord, said Sir Charles, engage, that the lady will comply
with the proposal I shall take the liberty to make to her mother and her.
She is not more than three or four and thirty: she is handsome: she has a
fine understanding: she is brought up an economist: she is a woman of
good family: she has not, however, though born to happier prospects, a
fortune worthy of your lordship's acceptance. Whatever that is, you
will, perhaps, choose to give it to her family.

With all my heart and soul, nephew: but do you say, she is handsome? Do
you say, she is of family? And has she so many good qualities?--Ah,
nephew! She won't have me, I doubt.--And is she not too young, Sir
Charles, to think of such a poor decrepit soul as I am?

All I can say to this, my lord, is, that the proposals on your part must
be the more generous--

I will leave all those matters to you, kinsman--

This, my lord, I will take upon me to answer for, that she is a woman of
principle: she will not give your lordship her hand, if she thinks she
cannot make you a wife worthy of your utmost kindness: and now, my lord,
I will tell you who she is, that you may make what other inquiries you
think proper.

And then I named her to him, and gave him pretty near the account of the
family, and the circumstances and affairs of it, that I shall by and by
give you; though you are not quite a stranger to the unhappy case.

My lord was in raptures: he knew something, he said, of the lady's
father, and enough of the family, by hearsay, to confirm all I had said
of them; and besought me to do my utmost to bring the affair to a speedy
conclusion.

Sir Thomas Mansfield was a very good man; and much respected in his
neighbourhood. He was once possessed of a large estate; but his father
left him involved in a law-suit to support his title to more than one
half of it.

After it had been depending several years, it was at last, to the deep
regret of all who knew him, by the chicanery of the lawyers of