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uncle's habitation; and in this journey it was, that she had been fo accidentally protected from the violence of the robbers by the interpofition and prowefs of our adven

turer.

As he did not wear his helmet in that exploit, fhe recognized his features as he paffed the coach, and, ftruck with the apparition, fhrieked aloud. She had been affured by her guardian, that his dengn was to convey her to her own house; but perceiving, in the fequel, that the carriage ftruck off upon a different road, and finding herself in the hands of ftrangers, fhe began to dread a much more difagreeable fate, and conceive doubts and ideas that filled her tender heart with horror and affliction. When fhe expoftulated with the duenna, fhe was treated like a changeling, admonifhed to be quiet, and reminded that she was under the direction of those who would manage her with a tender regard to her own welfare, and the honour of her family. When the addreffed herself to the old gentleman, who was not much fubject to the emotions of humanity, and befides firmly perfuaded that she was deprived of her reafon, he made no answer; but laid his finger on his mouth, by way of enjoining filence.

This mysterious behaviour aggravated the fears of the poor hapless young lady; and her terrors waxed so strong, that when the faw Tom Clarke, whofe face the knew, the called aloud for affiftance, and even pronounced the name of his patron Sir Launcelot Greaves, which the imagined might ftimulate him the more to attempt fomething for her deliverance.

The reader has already been informed in what manner the endea vours of Tom and his uncle miscarried.

Mifs Darnel's new keeper having, in the courfe of his journey, halted for refreshment at the Black Lyon, of which being landlord, he believed the good woman and her family were intirely devoted to his will and pleasure, Aurelia found an opportunity of speaking in private to Dolly, who had a very prepoffeffing appearance. She conveyed a purfe of money into the hands of this young woman, telling her, while the tears trickled down her cheeks, that he was a young lady of fortune, in danger, as fhe apprehended, of affaffination. This hint, which the communicated in a whif per, while the governante stood at the other end of the room, was fufficient to intereft the compaffionate Dolly in her behalf. As foon as the coach departed, the made her mother acquainted with the transaction; and as they naturally concluded that the young lady expected their affiftance, they refolved to approve themselves worthy of her confidence.

Dolly having inlifted in their defign a trufty countryman, one of her own profeffed admirers, they set out together for the houfe of the gentleman in which the fair prifoner was confined, and waited for her in fecret at the end of a pleafant park, in which they naturally concluded the might be indulged with the privilege of taking the air. The event juftified their conception: on the very first day of their watch they faw her approach, accompanied by her duenna. Dolly and her attendant immediately tied their horfes to a stake, and retired into a thicket,

which

which Aurelia did not fail to enter. Dolly forthwith appeared, and, taking her by the hand, led her to the horfes, one of which the mounted in the utmost hurry and trepidation, while the countryman bound the duenna with a cord, prepared for the purpose, gagged her mouth, and tied her to a tree, where he left her to her own meditations. Then he mounted before Dolly, and thro' unfrequented paths conducted his charge to an inn on the post-road, where a chaife was ready for their reception.

As he refufed to proceed farther, left his abfence from his own home fhould create fufpicion, Aurelia rewarded him liberally; but would not part with her faithful Dolly, who, indeed, had no inclination to be difcharged: fuch an affection and attachment had she already acquired for the amiable fugitive, though she knew neither her ftory, nor her true name. Aurelia thought proper to conceal both, and affumed the fictitious appellation of Meadows, until the fhould be better acquainted with the difpofition and difcretion of her new attendant. The first resolution she could take in the present flutter of her fpirits, was to make the best of her way to London, where he thought fhe might find an afylum in the house of a female relation, married to an eminent phyfician, known by the name of Kawdle. In the execution of this hafty refolve, fhe travelled at a violent rate, from stage to stage, in a carriage drawn by four horfes, without halting for neceffary refreshment or repofe, until the judged herfelf out of danger of being overtaken. As the appeared overwhelmed with grief and confternation, the

good-natured Dolly endeavoured to alleviate her diftrefs with diverting difcourfe; and, among other less interefting stories, entertained her with the adventures of Sir Launcelot and captain Crowe, which the had feen and heard recited while they remained at the Black Lyon: nor did the fail to introduce Mr. Thomas Clarke, in her narrative, with fuch a favourable representation of his perfon and character, as plainly discovered that her own heart had received a rude fhock from the irrefiftible force of his qualifications.

The history of Sir Launcelot Greaves was a theme which effec tually fixed the attention of Aurelia, diftracted as her ideas must have been by the circumstances of her prefent fituation. The particulars of his conduct, fince the correfpondence between her and him had ceafed, fhe heard with equal concern and astonishment; for, how far foever fhe deemed herself detached from all poffibility of future connexion with that young gentleman, fhe was not made of fuch indifferent ftuff, as to learn without emotion, the calamitous diforder of an accomplished youth, whofe extraordinary virtues he could not but revere.

As they had deviated from the poft-road, taken precautions to conceal their route, and made fuch progrefs, that they were now within one day's journey of London, the careful and affectionate Dolly seeing her dear lady quite exhaufted with fatigue, ufed all her natural rhetorick, which was very powerful, mingled with tears that flowed from the heart, in perfuading Aurelia to enjoy fome repofe; and fo far she fucceeded in the attempt, that for one night the toil of travelling was

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mitted. This recefs from incredible bank-notes, which mifs Meadows fatigue, was a paufe that afforded had dropped in the houfe where.

our adventurer time to overtake them before they reached the metropolis, that vaft labyrinth, in which Aurelia might have been for ever loft to his inquiry.

It was in the afternoon of the day which fucceeded his departure from the White Hart, that Sir Launcelot arrived at the inn, where mifs Aurelia Darnel had bespoke a dish of tea, and a post-chaise for the next stage. He had, by inquiry, traced her a confiderable way, without ever dreaming who the perfon really was whom he thus purfued, and now he defired to fpeak with her attendant. Dolly was not a little furprised to fee Sir Launcelot Greaves, of whose character she had conceived a very fublime idea, from the narrative of Mr. Thomas Clarke; but she was still more furprised when he gave her to underftand, that he had charged himself with the pocket-book, containing the

they had been threatened with infult. Mifs Darnel had not yet difcovered her difafter, when her attendant, running into the apartment, prefented the prize, which fhe had received from our adventurer, with his compliments to mifs Meadows, implying a request to be admitted into her prefence, that he might make a perfonal tender of his beft fervices.

It is not to be fuppofed that the amiable Aurelia heard unmoved fuch a meffage from a perfon, whom her maid difcovered to be the very identical Sir Launcelot Greaves, whofe ftory fhe had fo lately related: but as the enfuing fcene requires fresh attention in the reader, we hall defer it till another opportunity, when his fpirits fhall be recruited from the fatigue of this chapter.

[To be continued.] 7

A Genealogical Account of RUSSEL, Duke of BEDFORD.

THIS

HIS family, originally Norman, was confiderable in England, and poffeffed an eftate in Dorfetfhire, as far back as the reign of king John; in the third year of which John Ruffel, conftable of Corfe-castle, payed fifty marks for a licence to marry the fifter of a baron called Daun Bardolf. His fon, Sir Ralph Ruffel, was a perfon of confiderable intereft at the court of Henry III. and acquired, by his marriage with one of the daughters of James de Newmarche, certain lands in the counties of Somerfet, Wilts, and Gloucefter. His eldeft January 1761.

fon and fucceffor, William Ruffel, obtained, in the reign of Edward I. a charter for a market every Thurfday in the week, and a fair on the eve, day, and morrow of St. Matthew, at his manour of Kingston, commonly called Kingfton Ruffel, in the county of Dorfet; which lordfhip was held by ferjeantry, as cupbearer to the king at four principal feafts in the year. In the following reign he was returned to parliament knight of the hire for the county of Southampton. His fon Theobald had two wives; and by the firft a fon of the fame name,

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