“Butt cann you forgive me?  You see how happy I am in my disappointment.  I did nott think too write so much;—­for I don’t love it:  but on this occasion, know not how too leave off.  I hope you can read my letter.  I know I write a clumsy hand, and spelle most lamentabelly; for I never had a tallent for these things.  I was readier by half to admire the orcherd robbing picture in Lillie’s grammar, then any other part of the book.

“But, hey, whether am I running!  I never writt to you before, and never may again, unless you, or Mr. B. command it, for your service.  So pray excuse me, Madam.

“I knowe I neede give no advice to Polley, to take care of first encouragements.  Poor girl! she mought have suffer’d sadly, as welle as I. For iff my father, and my unkell and aunte, had requir’d mee to turne her off, you know itt woulde have been undutifull to have refused them, notwithstanding our bargaine.  And want of duty to them woulde have been to have added faulte too faulte:  as you once observed, I remember, that one faulte never comes alone, but drawes after itt generally five or six, to hide or vindicate itt, and they every one perhapps as many more eache.

“I shall never forgett severall of youre wise sayinges.  I have been vex’d, may I be hang’d if I have not, many a time, thatt I coulde not make such observations as you make; who am so much older too, and a man besides, and a peere’s son, and a peere’s nephew! but my tallents lie another way; and by that time my father dies, I hope to improve myselfe, in order to cutt such a figure, as may make me be no disgrase to my name or countrey.

“Well, but whatt is all this to the purpose?—­I will keep close to my text; and that is, to thank you, good Madam, for all the favours I have received in your house; to thank you for disappointing mee, and for convincing mee, in so kinde, yet so shameing a manner, how wrong I was in the matter of that there Polley; and for not exposing my folly to any boddy but myselfe (for I should have been ready to hang myselfe, if you hadd); and to beg youre pardon for itt, assuring you, that I will never offerr the like as long as I breathe.  I am, Madam, with the greatest respecte, youre most obliged, moste faithful, and most obedient humbell servante, J.H.

“Pray excuse blotts and blurs.”

Well, Miss Darnford, what shall we say to this fine letter?—­You’ll allow it to be an original, I hope.  Yet, may-be not.  For it may be as well written, and as sensible a letter as this class of people generally write!

Mr. H. dresses well, is not a contemptible figure of a man, laughs, talks, where he can be heard, and his aunt is not present; and cuts, to use his own word, a considerable figure in a country town.—­But see—­Yet I will not say what I might—­He is Lord Davers’s nephew; and if he makes his observations, and forbears his speeches (I mean, can be silent, and only laugh when he sees somebody of more sense laugh, and never approve or condemn but in leading-strings), he may possibly pass in a crowd of gentlemen.  But poor, poor Polly Barlow!  What can I say for Polly Barlow?