On which I asked him what could occasion such a sudden departure?  He then told me he had received a letter, concerning a debt he owed, that he had no money to pay; and that if he staid in Henley, the bailiffs might come down in quest of him thither; and you know your father’s temper, said he, if that should happen.  This induced me to desire a sight of the letter; which having perused, I immediately gave him the money he wanted on this occasion, winch amounted to fifteen pounds, and was part of the sum I had before borrowed of Mrs. Mounteney.  This, with the other fifteen pounds sent him from Henley, made up thirty of the forty pounds he had formerly lent my mother.  As soon as he had received this money, he wrote a letter to his creditor in London, informing him, that he would pay him on a day therein mentioned.  A few days after this, he set out for London, and kept up his correspondence with me for several months, not returning to Henley till August 1750.  The morning he left Henley, my father parted with him with the greatest tenderness; yet the moment he was gone, he used me very cruelly on his account.  This had such an effect upon me, that it threw me into hysteric fits.  His conduct for some time was very uncertain; sometimes extremely tender, and at other times the reverse; he on certain occasions saying very bitter and cruel things to me.

During this interval, my father received a present of some dried salmon from Lady Cranstoun in Scotland, and a very civil letter, which he did not answer, tho’ he seemed pleased with the contents of it.  The first of August 1750, as I apprehend, Mr. Cranstoun wrote to my father, that he would wait upon him, and I carried the letter up to him, he then being in his bed-chamber.  After he had opened and read it, he made no manner of answer.  I then asked him what answer I should write.  To which he replied, “He must come, I suppose.”  On this I wrote to him, giving him to understand, that I should be glad to see him.  This produced an answer from him, wherein he told me, he would be with me on the Monday following; but he came on Sunday, whilst we were at dinner.  My father received him with great tenderness seemingly, and said, “He was sorry he had not seen him half an hour sooner, for he was afraid the dinner was quite cold.”  My father after dinner went to church, and left Mr. Cranstoun and me together:  after church was over, my father returned, drank tea with us, and seemed to be in perfect good humour; and so he remained for several weeks; but afterwards changed so much in his temper, that I seldom arose from table without tears.  This gave Mr. Cranstoun great pain; so that he one time said to me, “Why will you not permit me to give your father some of the powders which I formerly mentioned?  If I was to give him them,” continued he, “they are quite innocent, and will do him no harm, if they did not produce the desired effect.”  He had no sooner spoke those words than my father came in; upon which a profound silence ensued.  Next