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she did not know. It may easily be imagined the impression such a trial made on the minds of all present; it clearly proved that Mr. Abraham Modish and Mr. Chissel would stop at nothing either to injure or persecute Mrs. Mortimer, or to play into each others hands. The rent of the house was one hundred guineas, but the damage done to the furniture one hundred and fifty more, and the expence of the law-suit upwards of two hundred; all this came out of Sir Timothy Flight's pocket.

Mrs. Mortimer was accompanied by a lady to Brighton, as she did not like going alone. They arrived on a Sunday evening, and they soon got into a small lodging on the West Cliff,

CHAP. V.

Oppress'd with grief, oppress'd with care,
A burden more than I can bear,

I sit me down and sigh:
O life! thou art a galling load,
A long, a rough, a weary road,
To wretches such as I!"

As soon as Mrs. Mortimer arrived at Brighton, she sent her son with a letter to Sir Timothy Flight to inform him on what account she had come to Brighton; that she felt it her duty to her children to clear up her character, as from the manner in which she had been driven from Sussex, she had appeared in a very unfavourable light to the people in general, therefore she should be compelled to shew the Baronet's letters to prove

what were her expectations when she gave up her Town residence, and removed to Brighton. Lutterel Mortimer was refused admittance to the Baronet, and the letter was returned. Mrs. Mortimer soon after met Mr. Black, the coal-merchant, and he very civilly offered to deliver any message, &c. at Sir Timothy's, on which

she

gave him the note, but it was again refused. This being the case, she deferred meeting her creditors for two days, as she did not wish to expose the Baronet, if she could possibly avoid it. It had been the desire of her relations and friends, from the first, that all his correspondence should be published; but she would not consent to this, in the hope that he would take courage, act for himself, and consequently do her justice; she therefore wished him to know what was going forward. The next morning the lady who accompanied her to Sussex called at Sir Timothy's house, but she was informed that no person was admitted to

his presence, or any letters taken in. Mrs. Mortimer then applied to one of the gentlemen who keeps a library at Brighton, and Mr. Pedestrian very kindly gave the letter to the Baronet; but as no notice was taken of it, at the appointed time she met her creditors, and entered into a bond to allow them the half of her income, till the whole of their demands was paid. They all behaved very handsomely to her, and after this was settled she produced Sir Timothy Flight's letters. They read them, and only one sentiment prevailed, that she had been most cruelly persecuted for having done her duty. They said that they knew many of the articles which she had engaged now to pay for were for the Baronet's houses; that it was only justice to herself to make public such treatment; that if she would open subscriptions, and advertise the causes which had reduced her to such indigence, they would receive donations at their houses; and a clause

was entered in the agreement, which was signed, to secure thirty pounds per annum to her creditors, that she should endeavour to raise a subscription, and the half of such contributions should go to liquidate her debts.

The next day she took such steps as she thought proper to set a subscription on foot, but this coming to the knowledge of the Baronet, he went to Mr. Plumb to request that he would desire Mrs. Mortimer to stop such proceedings, and that every thing should be settled. She assured Mr. Plumb that it was very disagreeable to her to be compelled to do any thing which could hurt Sir Timothy's feelings; that she would immediately comply with his wishes, which she did, by forbidding any thing for the present being done towards soliciting the public in her favour. She was grieved to find that the Baronet resided with women of notorious character; that he had no respectable society; was deeply in debt;

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