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profound silence reigned. Barnwell's youth excited their sympathy-his pale countenance, and modest looks, appealed to their hearts-and the unbidden tears streamed down the cheeks even of the most hardened: But when Millwood appeared, a murmur of disapprobation began. It was however instantly stifled-and the ready execrations died upon their ips, or ere they found breath to utter them. Millwood, the vile, detested Millwood, the seducer and betrayer of youth, looked so commanding, and so beautiful—that hatred was lost, in secret laïnentation that such a creature should have fallen from the paths of virtue!! Barnwell offered her his hand, begged her to kneel with him, and put up a prayer to heaven, for forgiveness of their crimes; but Millwood shuddered, and covered her eyes with her snowy arm. The picture was awfully beautiful— Barnwell in his sable dress-with his knees bent to the ground, and his eyes raised to heaven, clasping the hand of his fair betrayer-while Millwood stood erect, her white robes floating in the wind, and her bosom heaving with convulsive agony-yet neither daring to kneel, nor even raise her eyes towards that bright heaven which she could never hope to behold, save as a guilty sinner, to hear her dreadful doom, and be shut out for ever.

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Whate'er the generous mind itself denies The secret care of Providence supplies.' **

MR. Sealand a wealthy merchant, and Sir John Bevil a gentleman of ancient family, were extremely desirous of a union between Miss Sealand and young Bevil. Their dispositions were amiable and their filial obedience were almost proverbial. The treaty of marriage had been closed between the parents, and the young people, by forbearing to refuse, had yielded a kind of consent; yet they were very unhappy, when an unexpected, and mysterious circumstance, communicated to the fathers a portion of that anxiety, which their mistaken regard had imposed upon their children. Sir John Bevil disclosed his uneasiness, and related the circumstance which had given rise to that feeling to his old and faithful servant Humphrey, who had lived with him from his youth, and was considered rather as a friend than a domestic.

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There had lately been a splendid masquerade : and amongst the numerous maskers was Sir John Bevil, in an old fashioned court suit of his grandfather's, the grotesque appearance of which attracted the notice of a pert young nobleman in a clown's dress; who, presuming upon his rank, as entitling him to be impertinent, persecuted Sir John with so much rudeness, that a mask, in company with a lady in an Indian dress, interfered to save the old gentleman from insult. The clown, incensed at this interference, resented it; when the gentlemen got to high words, and the clown's mask was torn off while his opponent threw off his own, and discovered himself to be young Bevil. The lady in the Indian dress, alarmed for his safety, fainted, and was borno by him into another room, followed by his father, as also by Mr. Sealand; whose curiosity was excited to know who this lady might be, then in company with the gentleman that was to be the husband of his only daughter. Bevil, insensible to all observation, and anxious only for the lovely creature he held lifeless in his arms-betrayed so warm an interest, and she, on her recovery, evinced so much tenderness, that it was pretty obvious, there was some

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near peculiar feeling between them; but the modest dignity of the lady's manner-and her noble and lofty deportment, put to flight every idea of her being a woman of improper character. The nature of the intimacy between them, was therefore a matter requisite to be known, before Mr. Sealand trusted the happiness of his child to the care of a man, whose affections appeared to be already disposed of: and he prudently informed Sir John Bevil that he must postpone the intended marriage, until this mystery was cleared up. Sir John was strenuous in defence of his son's honour-Mr. Sealand had no desire to dispute it-yet appearances were certainly against him.

Innumerable difficulties now arose; the parties were perplexed and unhappy ;-a little sincerity might have obviated these difficulties: but all were playing the cheat; all deceiving each other-though all from amiable motives; so that if a want of sincerity could under any circumstances be meritorious, it was in the present instance.

Sir John Bevil, whose ideas were somewhat singular, had thought proper to make his son independent of him as soon as he came of age, by securing 17*

to him an ample estate, in right of his mother: for the baronet had a great objection to restraint; and he thought that by leaving his son at liberty to act for himself, he would the better become acquainted with his real disposition. Young Bevil had been carefully educated his principles were good; and he had not manifested any propensity to the various vices which taint the morals of young men. There was not therefore any danger in the trust reposed in him by the affection of his father; whilst Bevil, whose disposition was truly estimable, felt under more restraint from this generosity, than ne would have done had he been totally dependent upon paternal bounty; and when Sir John proposed Miss Sealand to him as a wife, and expressed the pleasure he felt at such a proposal from Mr. Sealand, whose immense wealth made the match quite desirable, Bevil could not bear to wound his father, by inform ing him that his affections were already engaged, and his honour deeply implicated. He therefore received his paternal commands in silence, hoping some fortunate circumstance might occur to prevent the marriage, without the appearance of disobedience on his part towards so excellent a parent; who, thus mistaking silence for consent, was completely deceived, and happy in the prospect of a considerable accession to the fortune of his darling son, as well as his alliance with a lovely and amiable young woman!

Lucinda Scaland had been permitted to receive the addresses of Mr. Myrtle, a young gentleman of fortune and respectability; and to whom she was devotedly attached when all on a sudden, her parents thought proper to retract their consent, and forbid Mr. Myrtle access to their daughter. Though they were unanimous in their commands, yet their motives were totally opposite. The universally good character of young Bevil, and his being the heir

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