fortune upon one, whose life he had attempted to take away?" --To this question Mr. Lcalmly replied, that he presumed there could be little difficulty in accounting for what had been done by Mr. Blachford in the young person's favour, if it was admitted that the heart of a dying man was capable of being touched by repentance, and a desire of atoning for the crimes he had committed; and that it was so, he believed the will itself would clearly evince, as it spoke very plainly to the motives of the testator. " There was," added he, " a good creature, by name Ezekiel Daw, very much about him (too much perhaps for his body's health) who certainly cooperated with the terrors of death in bringing tiis about, which appears to you so extraordiDary an act: the man, it must be own'd, is something of an enthusiast, and for some time I kept him from my patient; but when it be. came a lost case, and the penitent on his death-bed eagerly demanded his return, I no longer opposed it; he was, undoubtedly, the great instrument of moving him to repentance, and to himn I consider this young gentleman auch indehted for the very ample atonement he will receive at Mr. Blachford's
deceafe:
decease: I understand there is something myfterious in his history, but, from the reception he has met in this family, I can't doubt but he -well deserves the good fortune that has befallen him."
Here Sir Roger Manstock broke silence, and in terms strong, though concise, gave his -hearty testimony to the merits and good qualities of our hero. When the worthy Baronet had ceaseit speaking, Mr. L- expressed himself well pleased that his pre-poffeffions in this instance had not mised him.-" For I profess to you," said he, addressing himself to Sir Roger, " I did never in my life feel a a stronger impression from the person and countenance of any man than in the instance of this youth, and his conduct in the affair with Captain Crowbery was exactly such as was beft calculated to confirm it."
Sir Roger, with a smile of approbation, gave sign of his assent; Fanny Claypole said, The believed there could be but one opinion in the cale; and the Reverend Mr. Claypole, ftraying a little from the subject in hand, observed, that Henry would now find himself a very rich and happy man, glancing a look ac
the same time towards his niece.- "That is as it may be," said Sir Roger, "as to his riches; Mr. Blachford, perhaps, has poor relations left behind him, and my friend Henry has a worthy spirit of his own." Claypole's countenance fell, but Mr. L-o relieved hiin from his embarrassment, by saying, he could speak upon that subject from the authority of Blachford himself, who had told him that he had not a single relation in existence, who could have a claim upon him ; confessing that he was the son of a certain planter in Jamaica, long since dead, by a Mulatto wench, who was his property, and that he was entirely the founder of his own fortune, which, if certain circumstances had not occurred, was once, as he was given to understand, bequeathed to the Lord Viscount Crowbery.--" Mark that," said Mr. Claypole ; " the cunning man is caught in his own trap: how just are the ways of Providence !"
But now time pressed with Mr. L- for his departure ; the carriage was called to the door, and the friend of human misery haftened away to soothe the pains of other sufferers, anxiously expecting their relief from his hands; it
was a parting much regretted by Sir Roger« Well," cried he, " if I live to go to London, sick or well I will cultivate the acquaintance of that amiable gentleman.
THE Reverend Mr. Claypole having duly
pondered these extraordinary occurrences in his mind, found himself not the less attracted towards Henry on the score of his good fortune ; for in that gentleman's estimate of his character, prosperity was regarded as no contemptible recommendation; and he very justly considered, that Mr. Blachford's great property would not make him one whit the worse husband to his niece, or his niece the less affectionate wife to him. Still the circuinstance of his hasty departure with Captain Cary, and the wild idea of volunteering with him, as stated in his letter to Sir Roger Mantock, seemed to augur so ill for Fanny, that he much doubted if that good understanding
03 between
between them, of which she had lo confidently boasted, sublisted any where but in her fan. guine imagination; neither could he with all his fagacity discover more than one reasun for a young man's running away from the woman that made love to him, and that reason was not very compatible with Fanny's report aforesaid: as foon therefore as he could find a fair opportunity of drawing her into private conference, he began to open upon the subject of her attachment; he stated to her what, upon common report, the property of Mr. Blachford was supposed to amount to, which, upon the most moderate calculation, he guefied could not be less than twice as much as her own.--" I care little about that," cried Fan. ny," the man is iny object."--This was very candidly admitted as the first but not the only point to be considered in a connection for life: they could certainly, with proper discretion, live very comfortably upon their joint means, not losing fight in the mean time of future contingencies from Lady Crowbery, whose life, he observed with great regret, could not but be very precarious, as change of climate was generally the last desperate resource for constitutions, like her's, in deep decay.