image there impreft, and flattering myself I "have the fanction of your good wishes for the "fuccefs of my undertaking." Conftantia affured him he had her good wifhes for every happiness in life, and, then yielding her hand to him, he tenderly preffed it to his lips and departed. It would be an uninteresting detail to enumerate the arrangements, which Ned by the inftructions of his friendly and judicious agent adopted on his return to Poppy-hall. His affairs had indeed been much neglected, but they were not embarraffed, so that they were easily put into fuch order and regulation, as gave him full leisure for pursuing other objects of a more animating nature: with this view he returned to his friend Mr. Somerville, and was again bleft with the presence of Conftantia, to whom every day seemed to add new graces: he was welcomed by all parties in the most affectionate manmer; Mr. Somerville, upon converfing with his lawyer, received a very flattering report of Ned's activity and attention, nor was he displeased to hear from the fame authority, that his estate and property far exceeded any amount, which the unpretending owner himself had ever hinted at. It was now the latter end of April, and Ned had allowed himself only a few days to prepare for C 4 his his tour, and to form an acquaintance with the amiable perfon, who at Mr. Somerville's requeft had engaged to accompany him; their plan was to employ fix months in this excurfion through England and part of Scotland, during which they were to visit the chief towns and principal manufactories, and Mr. Somerville had further contrived to lay out their course, so as to fall in with the houses of fome of his friends by the way, where he had fecured them a welcome in fuch focieties, as promifed no lefs profit than amufement to a young perfon in the pursuit of experience. Measures had been taken to provide equipage, fervants and all things requifite for a travelling establishment, amongst which a few wellfelected books were not forgotten, and, thus at length equipt, Ned with his companion, on the firft morning of the month of May, having taken leave of Mr. Somerville and Mrs. Goodison, and received a tender adieu from his beloved Constantia, ftept reluctantly into his chaife, and left the fineft eyes in the creation to pay the tribute of a tear to the forrows of the scene. From this period I had heard nothing of his proceedings till a few days ago, when I was favoured by him with the following letter, dated from the house of Mr, Somerville: « Dear "Dear Sir, "I am just returned from a fix months "tour, in the courfe of which I have vifited a variety of places and perfons in company "with a gentleman, from whofe pleafing fociety "I have reaped the highest enjoyment, and, if I "do not deceive myself, no fmall degree of pro"fit and inftruction. "Before I fate out upon this excurfion I had "the fatisfaction of feeing my private affairs put "in fuch a train, and arranged upon fo clear a “system, that I find myself in poffeffion of a "fund of occupation for the rest of my days in "fuperintending the concerns of my estate, and "interefting myself in the welfare and profpe"rity of every perfon, who depends upon me. "When I returned to this charming place, "the reception I met with from Mr. Somerville was as flattering as can be conceived; the "worthy mother of my beloved Conftantia was <e no lefs kind to me; but in what words can I "attempt to convey to you the impreffion I felt ર on my heart, when I was welcomed with "fmiles of approbation by the ever-adorable ob ject of my affection? What tranfport did it "give me, when I found her anxious to enquire into every circumftance, that had occured in "the courfe of my travels! none were too mi nute «nute for her notice; fhe feemed to take an intereft in every thing that had happened to " me, and our converfations were renewed time "after time without wearinefs on her part, or « any profpect of exhaufting our fubject. "At this time I had no other expectation but "of a fecond excurfion with the conductor of "the first, and as that gentleman was in fre. quent conference with Mr. Somerville, I took "for granted they were concerting the plan of "a foreign tour; and though my heart was 46 every hour more and more fondly attached to "Conftantia, so that a feparation from her was "painful to reflect on, yet I was refolved at all " events not to fwerve from my engagements "with her grandfather, and therefore held my"felf in trembling expectation of another fum"mons to go forth: delightfully as the hours "paffed away in her fociety, I dreaded left any "fymptoms of felf-indulgence fhould lower me "in her opinion, or create fufpicions in Mr. "Somerville and Mrs. Goodifon that I was in "any danger of relapfing into my former indo"lence: I therefore feized the firft opportunity "of explaining myself to thofe refpectable «friends, when Conftantia was not prefent, "and, addreffing myfelf to Mr. Somerville, af"fured him that I was not difpofed to forget any part of his good advice, nor fo much my own enemy as to evade any one of thofe con"ditions, to the performance of which he had "annexed the hope of so transcendant a reward: "conscious that he could impofe nothing upon "me fo hard to do, or fo painful to fuffer, which "fuch a prize would not infinitely overbalance, "I had no other backwardness or apprehenfion "as to his commands, but what fprung from the "conviction, that after all my efforts I must "ever remain unworthy of Conftantia. "I fhall never forget Mr. Somerville's reply, nor the action which accompanied it. My good friend, faid he, (leaning over the arm "of the chair, and kindly taking me by the "hand) it is more than enough for a man to "have made one fuch fatal error in his life as I "have done, one fuch unhappy facrifice to the "falle opinions of the world; but though I have "heartily repented of this error, I am not so far "reformed, as to be without ambition in the "choice of a husband for our Conftantia; no, "Sir, I am still as ambitious as ever, but I hope "with better judgment and upon better prin"ciples: I will not bate an atom of virtue in "the bargain I am to make; I infift upon the "good qualities of the heart and temper to the laft fcruple; thefe are the effentials which I «rigidly |