It was the rector's custom to spend three months every year at his living; for which purpose he re• served an apartment in his parsonage house, which was full large enough for two such little families as then occupied it; we, at first, promised ourselves some little convenience from his boarding 'with us; and Mr. Bennet began to lay aside his thoughts of leaving his curacy, at least for some 'time. But these golden ideas presently vanished; • for, though we both used our utmost endeavours to please him, we soon found the impossibility of succeeding. He was, indeed, to give you his 'character in a word the most peevish of mortals. This temper, notwithstanding that he was both a good and a pious man, made his company so insufferable, that nothing could compensate it. • If his breakfast was not ready to a moment, if a 'dish of meat was too much or too little done; in short, if any thing failed of exactly hitting his taste, he was sure to be out of humour all that 'day: so that, indeed, he was scarce ever in a good temper a whole day together; for fortune seems to take a delight in thwarting this kind of disposition. to which human life, with its many 'crosses and accidents, is in truth by no means fitted.

• Mr. Pennet was now, by my desire, as well as 'his own, determined to quit the parish; but when 'he attempted to get an exchange, he found it a ' matter of more difficulty than he had apprehend'ed'; for the rector's temper was so well known among the neighbouring clergy, that none of 'them could be brought to think of spending three ? months in a year with him.

After many fruitless enquiries, Mr. Bennet thought best to remove to London, the great mart of all affairs ecclesiastical and civil. This project greatly pleased him, and he resolved, without more delay, to take his leave of the rec

tor; which he did in the most friendly manner 'possible, and preached his farewel sermon; nor was there a dry eye in the church, except among 'the few whom my aunt, who remained still inexorable, had prevailed upon to hate us without any

cause.

To London we came, and took up our lodging the first night at the inn where the stage-coach set 'us down; the next morning, my husband went out early on his business, and returned with the good news of having heard of a curacy, and of having equipped himself with a lodging in the neighbourhood of a worthy peer, who, said he, was my 'fellow collegiate; and what is more, I have a direction to a person who will advance your legacy at a very reasonable rate.

This last particular was extremely agreeable to me; for our last guinea was now broached; and the rector had lent my husband ten pounds to pay his debts in the country; for with all his peevishness he was a good and a generous man, and had indeed so many valuable qualities, that I lamented his temper, after I knew him thoroughly, as much on his account as on my own.

We now quitted the inn, and went to our lodgings, where my husband having placed me in safety, as he said, he went about the business of the legacy, with good assurance of success.

My husband returned elated with his success, the person to whom he applied having undertaken to advance the legacy, which he fulfilled as soon as the proper enquiries could be made, and proper instruments prepared for that purpose.

This, however, took up so much time, that as our fund was so very low, we were reduced to some distress, and obliged to live extremely penurious; nor would all do, without my taking a most disagreeable way of procuring money, by pawning one of my gowns.

'Mr. Bennet was now settled in a curacy in town, greatly to his satisfaction, and our affairs seemed to have a prosperous aspect, when he came home to me one morning in much apparent disorder, looking as pale as death, and begged me by some means or other to get him dram; for that he was taken with a sudden faintness and lowness of spirits.

Frightened as I was, I immediately ran down stairs, and procured some rum of the mistress of the house; the first time, indeed, I ever knew him drink any. When he came to himself, he begged me not to be alarmed; for it was no distemper, but something that had vexed him, which had caused his disorder, which he had now perfectly recovered.

He had hi

'He then told me the whole affair. 'therto deferred paying a visit to the lord whom 'I mentioned to have been formerly his fellow col•legiate, and was now his neighbour, till he could put himself in decent rigging. He had now 'purchased a new cassock, hat, and wig, and went to pay his respects to his old acquaintance, who had received from him many civilities and assistances in his learning at the university, and had ' promised to return them fourfold hereafter.

It was not without some difficulty that Mr. Bennet got into the antichamber. Here he waited, or, as the phrase is, cooled his heels for above an hour before he saw his lordship, nor had he 'seen him then, but by an accident: for my lord was going out, when he casually intercepted him in his passage to his chariot. He approached to salute him with some familiarity, though with respect, depending on his former intimacy, when my lord stepping short, very gravely told him, He had not the pleasure of knowing him. How ! my lord, said he, can you have so soon forgot your old acquaintance Tom Bennet? O, Mr. Bennet!

'cries his lordship, with much reserve, is it you? you will pardon my memory. I am glad to see you, Mr. Bennet, but you must excuse me at present; for I am in very great haste. He then broke from him, and without more ceremony, or any further invitation, went directly into his 'chariot.

This cold reception from a person for whom my husband had a real friendship, and from whom • he had great reason to expect a very warm return of affection, so affected the poor man, that it caused all those symptoms which I have mentioned • before.

Though this incident produced no material consequence, I could not pass it over in silence, as of all the misfortunes which ever befel him, it • affected my husband the most. I need not, however, to a woman of your delicacy, make any com'ments on a behaviour, which, though I believe it is very common, is nevertheless cruel and base beyond description; and is diametrically opposite to 'true honour, as well as to goodness.

To relieve the uneasiness which my husband felt ' on account of his false friend, I prevailed with him to go every night, almost for a fortnight together, to the play; a diversion of which he was greatly fond, and from which he did not think 'his being a clergyman excluded him; indeed, it is very well if those austere persons who would be 'inclined to censure him on this head, have them⚫selves no greater sins to answer for.

From this time, during three months, we passed our time very agreeably, a little too agreeably perhaps for our circumstances; for however innocent diversions may be in other respects, they 'must be owned to be expensive. When you • consider then, Madam, that our income from the curacy was less than forty pounds a year, and that after payment of the debt to the rector, and

another to my aunt, with the costs in law which she had occasioned by suing for it, my legacy was * reduced to less than seventy pounds, you will not wonder that in diversions, clothes, and the common expences of life, we had almost consumed our whole stock.

The inconsiderate manner in which we had ' lived for some time, will, I doubt not, appear to you to want some excuse; but I have none to 'make for it. Two things, however, now happened, which occasioned much serious reflection to Mr. Bennet; the one was, that I grew near my time; the other, that he now received a letter 'from Oxford, demanding the debt of forty pounds, 'which I mentioned to you before. The former ' of these he made a pretence of obtaining a delay for the payment of the latter, promising in two months to pay off half the debt, by which means he obtained a forbearance during

⚫ that time.

6 I was now delivered of

son, a matter which should in reality have increased our concern; but on the contrary, it gave us great pleasure; greater ' indeed could not have been conceived at the birth ' of an heir to the most plentiful estate: so entirely 'thoughtless were we, and so little forecast had we of those many evils and distresses to which we had rendered a human creature, and one so ' dear to us, liable. The day of a christening is in all families, I believe, a day of jubilee and rejoic ing; and yet, if we consider the interest of that little wretch who is the occasion, how very little reason would the most sanguine persons have for • their joy!

But though our eyes were too weak to look for'ward for the sake of our child, we could not be 'blinded to those dangers that immediately threatened ourselves. Mr. Bennet, at the expiration of the two months, received a second letter fron