me from you.—­The good woman is now more calm.  I have assured her it is uncertain how long we may be in London:  it is only that has calm’d her.—­She says, she is certain I shall return;—­she is certain, when Mr. Powis and his Lady arrives, I must return.—­Next Thursday they are expected:—­already are they arrived at Falmouth:—­but, notwithstanding what I have told Mrs. Jenkings, to soften her pains at parting, I shall by Thursday be on my voyage;—­for Mr. Smith tells me the Packet will sail immediately.—­Perhaps I may be the messenger of my own letters:—­but I am determin’d to write on ’till I see you;—­that when I look them over, my memory may receive some assistance.—­Good night, my dearest Lady; Mrs. Jenkings and Mr. Smith expects me.

F. Warley.

LETTER XXVI.

Lord DARCEY to Sir JAMES POWIS.

London.

Even whilst I write, I see before me the image of my expiring father;—­I hear the words that issued from his death-like lips;—­my soul feels the weight of his injunctions;—­again in my imagination I seal the sacred promise on his livid hand;—­and my heart bows before Sir James with all that duty which is indispensable from a child to a parent.

Happiness is within my reach, yet without your sanction I will not, dare not, bid it welcome;—­I will not hold out my hand to receive it.—­Yes, Sir, I love Miss Warley; I can no longer disguise my sentiments.—­On the terrace I should not have disguis’d them, if your warmth had not made me tremble for the consequence.—­You remember my arguments then; suffer me now to reurge them.

I allow it would be convenient to have my fortune augmented by alliance; but then it is not absolutely necessary I should make the purchase with my felicity.—­A thousand chances may put me in possession of riches;—­one event only can put me in possession of content.—­Without it, what is a fine equipage?—­what a splendid retinue?—­what a table spread with variety of dishes?

Judge for me, Sir James; you who know, who love Miss Warley, judge for me.—­Is it possible for a man of my turn to see her, to talk with her, to know her thousand virtues, and not wish to be united to them?—­It is to your candour I appeal.—­Say I am to be happy, say it only in one line, I come immediately to the Abbey, full of reverence, of esteem, of gratitude.

Think, dear Sir James, of Lady Powis;—­think of the satisfaction you hourly enjoy with that charming woman; then will you complete the felicity of

DARCEY.

LETTER XXVII.

Sir JAMES POWIS to Lord DARCEY.

Barford Abbey.

I am not much surpris’d at the contents of your Lordship’s letter, it is what Lady Powis and I have long conjectur’d; yet I must tell, you, my Lord, notwithstanding Miss Warley’s great merit, I should have been much better pleas’d to have found myself mistaken.