But the fecond day, imftead of rifing to the nuptial ceremony, to crown my life with unutterable blifs, and make me be yond all mankind happy, the lovely Agnes fell ill of a fever. A fenfe of weight and oppreffion discovered the inflammation within, and was attended with fharp, and pungent pains. The blood could not pass off as it ought in the course of circulation, and the whole mafs was in a violent fluctuation and motion. In a word, she died in a few days, and as she had requested, if it came to that, I laid her out, and put her into the coffin myfelf. I kept her feven days, according to the custom of the old Romans, and then in the dress of forrow, followed her to the grave.-Thus was my plan of happiness broken to pieces. had given a roundness to a system of felicity, and in the place of it, faw death and horror, and difappointment before me. I What to do next I could not tell. One queftion was, fhould I return to Ortonlodge, to my two young heireffes? No: they wanted two years of being at age.Then, fhall I ftay at Foley-farm where I was, and turn hermit? No: I had no inclination yet to become a father of the defarts. Will you return to London then, and fee if fortune has any thing more in referve referve for you? This I liked beft; and after fix months deliberations on the thing, I left my farm in the care of an old woman, and fet out in the beginning of Ja nuary. the Arvinter nightScene on mountains of Westmoreland. §. 13. It was as fine a winter's morning as I had feen, which encouraged me to venture among the Fells of Westmoreland; but at noon the weather changed, and an evening very terrible came on. A little after three, it began to blow, rain, and fnow very hard, and it was not long before it was very dark. We loft the way quite, and for three hours wandered about in as difmal a night as ever poor travellers had. The ftorm rattled: The tempeft howled: We could not fee the horfe's heads, and were almoft dead with cold. We had nothing to expect but death, as we knew not which way to turn to any house, and it was impoffible to remain alive till the day appeared. It was a difmal scene. But my time was not yet come, and when we had no ground to expect deliverance, the beafts of a fudden topt, and Soto found we were at the gate. of a walled yard. There he immediately made all the noife he could, and it was not long before a servant with a lanthorn came.. He related our cafe within, and had orders to admit us. He brought me into a common parlour, where there was a good fire, and I got dry things. The man brought me half a pint of hot alicant, and in about half an hour, I was alive and well again. On enquiring where I was, the footman told me, it was Doctor Stanvil's house; that his mafter and lady were above in the dining-room, with fome company, and he had directions to light me up, when I had changed my cloaths, and was recovered. Upon this I told him I was ready, and fol lowed him. My arrival at houfe, and intro duced to the Doctor, and company. On the fervant's opening a door, I entred a handsome apartment, well lighted with wax, and which had a glorious fire blazing in it. The doctor received me with great politenefs, and faid many civil things upon fortune's conducting me to his houfe. The converfation naturally fell upon the horrors of the night, as it ftill continued to rain, hail, and blow, beyond what any of the company had ever heard; and one of the ladies faid, fhe believed the winter was always far more boisterous and cold among the Fells of Westmoreland, than in any other part of England, for which the gave feveral good good reafons: The folemin mountains, the beautiful vallies, the falling streams, form one of the moft charming countries in the world in fummer-time; but in winter, it is the moft dreadful fpot of earth, to be fure. The furprising Story of Mrs. Stanvil The voice of the lady who talked in this manner, I thought I was well acquainted with, but by the pofition of the candles, and the angle of a fcreen in which the fat, I could not very well fee her face: Amazement however began to feize me, and as an elegant fupper was foon after brought in, I had an opportunity of seeing that Mifs Dunk whom I had buried, was now before my eyes, in the character of Dr. Stanvil's wife, or, at least, it was. one fo like her, it was not poffible for me to diftinguish the figures: there was the fame bright victorious eyes, and chefnut hair; the complexion like a blush, and a mouth where all the little loves for ever dwelt; there was the fugitive dimple, the inchanting laugh, the rofy fingers, the fine height, and the mein more ftriking than Calypfo's. O heavens! I said. to myself, on fitting down to fupper, What is this. I fee! But as fhe did not feem to be at all affected, or fhewed the leaft fign of I 4 her her having ever feen me before that time, I remained filent, and only continued to look with admiration at her, unmindful of the many excellent things before me.In a minute or two, however, I recovered myfelf. I eat my fupper, and joined in the feftivity of the night. We had mufic, and feveral fongs. We were eafy, free, and happy as well-bred people could be. Finn's obfervation, and dif courfe in my bed chamber, on the company's retiring to their apartments. At midnight we parted, and finding an eafy-chair by the fide of my bed, I threw myself into it, and began to reflect on what I had feen; Finn ftanding before me with his arms folded, and lookThis lafted for ing very seriously at me. about a quarter of an hour, and then the honeft fellow fpoke in the following manner.-I beg leave, Sir, to imagine you are perplexing yourself about the lady of this houfe, whom I fuppofe you take for Mifs Dunk, we brought from the other side of England, half a year ago, and buried in the next church-yard to Blenkern. This, if I may be fo free, is likewife my opinion. I would take my oath of it in a court of juftice, if there was occafion for that. However fhe got out of the grave, and by whatever cafualty fhe came to be Mrs. Stan |