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After a fhort interval, being left to reflection, I began to recollect that I had done wrong in taking a draught from a ftranger, and so prudently refolved upon following the purchaser, and having back. my horse. But this was now too late: I therefore made directly homewards, refolving to get the draught changed into money at my friend's as faft as poffible. I found my honest neighbour smoaking his pipe at his own door, and informing him that I had a small bill upon him, he read it twice over. • You can read the name, I fuppofe, cried I, Ephraim Jenkin• fon.' Yes,' returned he, the name is • written plain enough, and I know the gentleman too, the greatest rafcal under • the canopy of heaven. This is the very • fame rogue who fold us the fpectacles.

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Was he not a venerable looking man, ⚫ with grey hair, and no flaps to his • pocket-holes? And did he not talk

a long string of learning about Greek, and cofmogony, and the world? To this I replied with a groan. G 3

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• Aye,'

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continued he, he has but that one piece. of learning in the world, and he always talks it away whenever he finds a scholar in company: but I know the rogue, and will catch him yet.'

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Though I was already fufficiently mortified, my greatest ftruggle was to come, in facing my wife and daughters. No truant was ever more afraid of returning to school, there to behold the master's visage, than I was of going home. I was determined, however, to anticipate their fury, by first falling into a paffion myself.

But, alas, upon entering, I found the family no way difpofed for battle. My wife and girls were all in tears, Mr. Thornhill having been there that day to inform them, that their journey to town was entirely over. The two ladies having heard reports of us from fome malicious person about us, were that day fet out for London. He could neither difcover the tendency, nor the author of thefe, but whatever

they

they might be, or whoever might have broached them, he continued to affure our family of his friendship and protection. I found, therefore, that they bore my dif appointment with great refignation, as it was eclipfed in the greatness of their own. But what perplexed us moft was to think who could be fo bafe as to asperse the character of a family fo harmless as ours, too humble to excite envy, and too inoffenfive to create disgust.

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CHAP. XV..

All Mr. Burchell's villainy at once detected. The folly of being over-wife.

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HAT evening and part of the following day was employed in fruitless attempts to difcover our enemies: fcarce a family in the neighbourhood but incurred our fufpicions, and each of us had reasons for our opinion best known to ourselves. As we were in this perplexity, one of our little boys, who had been playing abroad, brought in a letter-cafe, which he found on the green. It was quickly known to belong to Mr. Burchell, with whom it had been feen, and upon examination, contained fome hints upon different subjects; but what particularly engaged our attention, was a fealed note, fuperfcribed, the copy of a letter to be fent to the ladies at Thornhill-castle. It inftantly occurred that

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