CHAP. III.

Good name, in man and womán, dear my Lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:

Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thou

sands:

But he that filches from me my good name,

Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.

SHAKESPEARE.

DURING Sir Timothy Flight's a sence, Mrs. Mortimer was desired by him to attend to his farm, particularly to the poultry, and to get the market-price of grain, that he might have some check upon the farmer. She found the farm in a deplorable state, none of the buildings being habitable, and she was informed,

by persons in the neighbourhood that the Baronet had been much imposed on, as the rent had been more than doubled to him, and the ground so worked, that without an enormous expence it would be some years before it could be put into a proper state. state. On Sir Timothy's return, she hinted this to him, and he again expressed his sorrow at being so completely in the power of the Modishes, but he said he would have done with them and Mr. Chissel as soon as possible, and requested Mrs. Mortimer would get Mr. Stanton once more to inquire the character of Mr. Abraham Modish, particularly that part of it which concerned a client he had, a Mrs. Quadruped, who had left England in a suspicious manner. Mrs. Mortimer did as he desired, and in a few posts received an answer, which she put into the hands of the Baronet, and which clearly proved that the doubts. which he entertained of Mr. Abraham Modish were not without good grounds.

VOL. II.

He promised Mrs. Mortimer that he would now see into his affairs: that he often gave people rope, and it depended on them whether they profited by it by hanging themselves. She took this opportunity of again mentioning the pending law-suit, which she feared would prove very expensive to him, and advised that he should abide by the first loss. She' did this, because she saw that Mr. Alexander Modish was always involving the Baronet in law, which of course was lucrative to Mr. Abraham Modish, but she saw that it would prove fatal to Sir Timothy Flight's fortune. She was now in hopes that she should prove the humble means of saving the Baronet from ruin; see him reconciled to his relations, and once more frequenting such company as were suitable to his rank: but in this she was soon disappointed, as not many days after this conversation he entered in some confusion, and in a great hurry informed her that he was going the next

day into Yorkshire. She asked who was to accompany him. Mr. Alexander Modish, he replied, Miss Shark, and a gentleman who would meet him in town; that he should be back in a few weeks, when he would settle her salary with her, but if she wanted money in the mean time to draw on Mr.Abraham Modish. Mrs. Mortimer' clearly saw that they took the Baronet away, as they feared her influence would be used to place him in safe hands. No sooner was the party departed for the north, than Mrs, and Miss Modish called on Mrs. Mortimer: they were extremely civil, and as friends, told her, though a great secret, that she should be careful of not being much seen with Sir Timothy, as they were grieved to say that the world was very censorious, and they had for sometime heard it reported that Lutterel Mortimer was the Baronet's son. Mrs. Mortimer knew that such a report` could only originate with themselves, for the boy's age would convince every one

that he was not the child of Sir Timothy Flight. After this the ladies very frequently had Mrs. Mortimer at their house, and appeared to be much pleased with her company: they expressed their sorrow at seeing a lady of her abilities in such a situation, and offered to speak to Mr. Abraham Modish to consider of some plan in which she could be employed without attending to farms, poul-, try, lodging-houses, &c. The first letter Mrs: Mortimer received from Sir Timothy, to her astonishment, was dated from Edinburgh she had written according to his instructions, giving an estimate of what was necessary to be done at the farm; also upon some other concerns of his, to which he gave this reply.

Dear Madam,

Your letter has only just found me, after incessant travelling. I wish you not to use my name about the soup; and I doubt whether it is not better not to at