God bless my guardian, for putting me on enlarging her power to live handsomely.  Only as a coach brings on other charges, and people must live accordingly, or be discredited, instead of credited, by it; or I should hope the additional two hundred a-year might afford them one.  Yet one does not know but Mr. O’Hara may have been in debt before he married her; and I fancy he has people who hang upon him.  But if it pleases God, I will not, when I am at age, and have a coach of my own, suffer my mother to walk on foot.  What a blessing is it, to have a guardian that will second every good purpose of one’s heart!

Lady Olivia is rambling about; and I suppose she will wait here in England till Sir Charles’s return:  but I am sure he never will have her.  A wicked wretch, with her poniards!  Yet it is pity!  She is a fine woman.  But I hate her for her expectation, as well as for her poniard.  And a woman to leave her own country, to seek for a husband!  I could die before I could do so! though to such a man as my guardian.  Yet once I thought I could have liked to have lived with her at Florence.  She has some good qualities, and is very generous, and in the main well esteemed in her own country; every body knew she loved my guardian:  but I don’t know how it is; nobody blamed her for it, vast as the difference in fortune then was.  But that is the glory of being a virtuous man; to love him is a credit, instead of a shame.  O madam!  Who would not be virtuous?  And that not only for their own, but for their friends sakes, if they loved their friends, and wished them to be well thought of?

Lord W——­ is very desirous to hasten his wedding.

Mr. Beauchamp says, that all the Mansfields (He knows them) bless my guardian every day of their lives; and their enemies tremble.  He has commissions from my guardian to inquire and act in their cause, that no time may be lost to do them service, against his return.

We have had another visit from Lady Beauchamp, and have returned it.  She is very much pleased with us:  You see I say us.  Indeed my two dear ladies are very good to me; but I have no merit:  it is all for their brother’s sake.

Mr. Beauchamp tells us, just now, that his mother-in-law has joined with his father, at her own motion, to settle 1000L. a year upon him.  I am glad of it, with all my heart:  Are not you?  He is all gratitude upon it.  He says, that he will redouble his endeavours to oblige her; and that his gratitude to her, as well as his duty to his father, will engage his utmost regard for her.

Mr. Beauchamp, Sir Harry himself, and my lady, are continually blessing my guardian:  Every body, in short, blesses him.—­But, ah! madam, where is he, at this moment?  O that I were a bird! that I might hover over his head, and sometimes bring tidings to his friends of his motions and good deeds.  I would often flap my wings, dear Miss Byron, at your chamber window, as a signal of his welfare, and then fly back again, and perch as near him as I could.