Yes, cried Mr Ruth, to my bosom, to my heart; with the fame pleasure and welcome that a convict receives pardon on the hour of execution.

Juft then Mrs Ruth entered, with her three daughters, who, running up to their father, dropped together on their knees before him for a blessing.

While his hands and eyes were raised in prayer over them, the young stranger ftepped earnestly up, and falling on her knees befide the daughters, the broke into tears, and cried aloud, Bless me, bless me alfo. O my father! I am your niece, your Belinda. My father is no more! Yours, my lord, is the title, yours all the poffef fion! I now, in my turn, depend on your bounty for a morfel of bread. My brother, my brother dead! exclaimed Mr Ruth. He is, my lord, the replied; he was fuffocated by his rifing choler, and expired on the spot.

While the young lady fpoke, Mrs Ruth looked, as quite terrified by the tidings of fuch a fudden elevation; and clapping her hands together, and lifting her eyes, the cried, It cannot be it is impoffible! Ours the title, ours the fortune!--O my God!---O my husband! O my children!and down the dropped.

CHAP..

W

CHAP. XVI.

HILE Harry was fpeaking, Ned faw a woman ftanding before one of the windows; and, looking earnestly. at her, he gave a fudden jump, and, dancing about, cried, O Sir, Sir, my mammy, my mammy! there's my mammy, as fure as day!

Run, Ned, inftantly, cried Mr Fenton, and call James to me. James, yonder's the woman who ftole Ned from his parents; have an eye to her, do not let her efcape! Order Frank to take a horse and go with all speed to Mr and Mrs Fielding, that they may come and know, of a lurety, whether Ned is their child or not---Stay a moment; as foon as you have given Frank his orders, take the reft of the fervants and lay hold on this bad woman; bring her into the house by force, and contine her in one of the back rooms till Mr Fielding arrives. By all Ned's account, the must be a very iad creature, and deferves no favour.

James went out with alacrity upon his commillion; and, having executed matters

ters with his accustomed punctuality, he returned to the company.

O, Sir! cried James, it is impoffible that this woman should be Ned's mammy as he called her. This is fome unhappy decayed gentlewoman, as innocent of the fact, I dare anfwer, as the child unborn. I am forry, with all my heart, that I had her used fo roughly. Befide, Sir, she is fo deaf, that she can't anfwer to any thing of which she may be accused.

When we took her in hand fhe was terribly frighted. Come, fays I, mistress, you must now give an account of all your wickednefs.- Ennis, fays fhe, Ennis? No, but Enfield; five miles beyond Enfield, with the Rev. Mr Catharines---I know nothing, faid I aloud of your Enfields or your Catherines; but I tell you that you must now anfwer for the life that you have led. Dead, dead, says she, God forbid! A dear and a good master he was to me, I am fure. I have lived with him these five years; and he gave me money enough to bear my charges; but I fell fick at Saint Alban's and spent all; and I have been these three days creeping along, and begging wherewithal to keep life in me on the way.

As you fay, James, cried Mr Fenton, this account feems pretty feasible; a deaf fervant

fervant however is fomething uncommon. Go to her yourself, Ned, and obferve her more exactly; for, if what fhe fays has any truth in it, it is impoffible she should be your mammy.

Ned accordingly went, but returned under evident confufion and difficulty. I don't know what to think, Sir, of this matter, cries Ned. When I look at the gentlewoman's face, I could fwear, twenty times over, to every feature; but, when I look at her dress and manners, I could again almost swear against her face.

to

Ned's perplexity added greatly to Mr Fenton's curiofity. He got up in hafte, and went in perfon to infpect the party. When he entered, he faw a young woman who looked very pale and fickly, but of a genteel appearance, and neatly though plainly drefled. She caft upon him a fenfible and penetrating look, and curtfying him, with downcaft eyes, Sir, said she, your prefence tells me that you are mafter here. I know not for what offence your people have confined me; but if it is on any fufpicion of mifbehaviour, I have here the certificate of a worthy man and a great faint, who vouches at least for the innocence of my conduct. Here the prefented him with a paper that contained the following words:

"I certify, that the bearer hath served ❝me upward of five years, in quality of "housekeeper and intendant of my fa"mily; and that she is a young woman "of diftinguished piety and merit, and "departs, at her own defire, on some bu"finefs to London. Given under my "hand," &c.

MARMADUKE CATHARINES, C

On reading this, Mr Fenton bowed, and made a motion with his hand for her to fit down. He then took a pen and pap r that lay befide him, and wrote to the pur pose, that he requefted her to allow him to detain her certificate for about an hour; after which he would return it, and endeavour to make her amends for the unbecoming treatment which his people had given her.

On cafting her eye over the paper, she made a low curtefy, and faid, I fhail willingly attend, Sir, during your pleasure; but hope, in the mean time, that your charity will afford me a morfel or two of the fragments of your laft meal.

Mr Fenton then pulled a bell, and having ordered fome cold meats and whitewine to be ferved, he bowed, and withdrew to his company.

VOL. III.

M

Ned,