Walk this way, gentlemen,' cried Burridge; the keeper will give you possession of a comfortable apartment up-stairs. Major Oneby, it seems, the last gentleman who occupied it, lived in it for a year, and found it very much to his mind. I mean that we shall make a day of it when I have got our party together. I have ordered dinner, and plenty of wine. Benson, the keeper, tells me there has been more jollity in that room than in half the taverns in town. Its character must be kept up.'

I shall hardly help to do so,' observed Gregory, who was yet very ill, I fear, sir, I must retire to bed very early.'

Pish!' cried Burridge; when a barber has been at you, and you've shifted yourself, you'll be another man.'

The old gentleman was right. I suspect he had been acquainted with gaols in his earlier years, and knew very well how soon à prison-fever is dispersed by the prospect of a speedy liberation from confinement. In less than an hour a vast change was effected in the spirits and appearance both of Gregory and myself, and having taken possession of the room-up-stairs, we awaited the coming of our friends, discoursing with something like gaiety, in the meanwhile, upon topics connected with the outward world, to which we had bidden adieu, but in which we were once more to show ourselves.

Elizabeth was the first to return, accompanied by Martha Myte and Langley. The overjoyed little creature was soon in the arms of Gregory. Elizabeth made the scene more affecting by her tears. Langley looked rueful for awhile, and then turned away to the window, whilst I felt a strong inclination to favour the company with a dance.

I wish that mother of mine,' thought I, 'could see this sight.' The wish was a drawback upon my present felicity; as indeed, all thoughts of that woman were certain of being whenever they arose in my mind, or rather, whenever they descended upon it.

Langley shook us heartily by the hand, and congratulated us upon our good fortune.

How your pardon was brought about, however,' said he, 'we have yet to learn. Miss Wilfred will presently resolve the mystery. Mr. Myte would have been most happy to join Burridge in offering bail for you; but I insisted upon having that pleasure myself. He will be here in the evening.'

To say the truth,' he added, drawing me aside, I think Myte is almost ashamed to see you. You know he neither wants generosity nor virtue; but he is such an arrant slave to the world, and to the world's opinion, that he is not to be considered as a free agent. He walks the slow, regular pace of conventional morality, because the world does so; and 'tis only when the world-(as it will happen sometimes,) deviates into a liberal canter, that he finds out what a d-d hobble the former was. His resentment against Justice Page for his insolence and injustice on your trial is as great as ours, or that of all your friends can be, and his abhorrence of your mother in this her last atrocity as strong as might be wished, and as sincere; but I confess his resentment and abhorrence were not very strongly expressed till just now, when he learned that His Majesty had been pleased to extend a free pardon to you.'

Myte is like a pigeon,' said I, 'he never flies against the wind.'

'As wise as a serpent,' returned Langley,-'as innocent as a dove.'

'As innocent as a dove when he creeps, as wise as a serpent when he soars,' I rejoined.

Burridge now entered the room with Gregory's father.

His son did not at the moment observe him, being engaged in earnest conversation with his mistress, a want of dutiful attention, as the old gentleman appeared to consider it, which irritated him not a little. He knocked his cane upon the ground two or three times, and hemmed very loud.

Come here, my son Tom, and embrace me,' said he. 'You're a wicked sinner, you, Tom; but Mr. Burridge tells me I must forgive you. You don't know what you've made your poor old father suffer on your account. No sleep o' nights, and the asthma worse than ever.'

The old man's sufferings had not caused him to fall away in the least, nor did his voice betray much emotion. He embraced his son very coolly and deliberately.

You remind me

Why, you look very ill, Tom,' he resumed. of your dear good mother, who was spared this terrible trial, rest her soul! You think me right, don't you, sir?' he added, turning to Burridge, in what I have done? I ought to set my face against such wicked proceedings, oughtn't I? "Thou shalt not kill," say the Scriptures, and the laws must be obeyed-must be obeyed. But, since the King has been pleased to pardon my son, it wouldn't be right, would it, Mr. Burridge?-if I were not to pardon him likewise. I was always a loyal man,-Heaven forbid that I should be thought otherwise."

Having made this speech, he looked round complacently upon the company.

You've said enough,' cried Burridge, motioning the younger Gregory to be seated, 'you are the best judge of your own actions, and of the motives to them: nobody is disposed to question either. Your son is saved, and will return to you without the smallest stain upon his reputation.'

After dinner, Burridge made it his particular request that Miss Wilfred would favour the company with a relation of the manner in which our pardon had been obtained, saying that, from what fell from her unguardedly, when she brought the joyful intelligence, he conjectured she had been a party to the procurement of it.

Elizabeth for a long time steadily but gently declined to gratify their curiosity, pleading at length, when she was strongly urged to state the reason of her reluctance to comply with the general desire, that she feared the recital might hurt Mr. Savage's feelings. Could she have her own way in the matter, she said, Mr. Savage should never know, and she hoped, at least, she might be permitted to withhold the knowledge from him at the present moment how his pardon, and that of his friend, had been obstructed, and by whom. Her eyes glistened, and her lips trembled, as she added,

'It is something too terrible to be dwelt upon.'

Were we not aware, dear madam,' cried Burridge, 'to what you allude, your speech had stimulated our curiosity beyond hope of check. We are perfectly aware that his unnatural mother invented an extravagant lie, which she managed to get conveyed to the

Queen's ears, and which her Majesty for a time believed. I am greatly mistaken if the recital of any wickedness on the part of that woman, set on foot against him, can any longer hurt the feelings of Mr. Savage.'

I nodded assent.

She is become ridiculously wicked, Mr. Burridge: not scorn, but laughter will she henceforth excite in me.'

Elizabeth, entreated on all hands, could no longer refuse. I shall give her story as I heard it afterwards, in all its particulars, from her own lips.

I believe I have not already mentioned that the Countess of Hertford was a lady given to the writing of verses, and accordingly studious of the acquaintanceship of authors, and liberal in her entertainment of them. She read her poetry to them, and craved their critical judgment and correction. When I add that she seldom submitted to the one, or deferred to the other, I only record an infirmity incident to authors in general, and which I have not discovered to be more virulent in female than in male authors.

Amongst others, of whom myself was one, who shared her patronage, Thomson, who had risen into reputation by his beautiful poems of Winter and Summer, was introduced to her. Let me assure him, in this place, of my continued and undiminished affection for him, and repeat what I have often told him, that he is the best Scotchman I ever knew. Mallet, who is ashamed of his country, will not take offence at this; but if he were not ashamed of his country, and were offended, I should still say the same thing. Mallet, happily, loves himself too well to care much for the love of others towards him, unless he can make it operate to his advantage.

A few mornings after my trial Thomson waited upon Lady Hertford, to request permission to dedicate his forthcoming poem of Spring to her. Her ladyship having joyfully accepted the honour the modest poet sought to pay her, he begun deploring my unhappy condition, saying many handsome things of me, which I am happy he thought I deserved. He mentioned, in conclusion, the calumny he had heard respecting me, that some years previously I had made an attempt upon my mother's life, and whilst he did not scruple to avow his belief of the source from whence it sprung, to wit, my mother-expressed his fear that it had already found its way into the palace, and that it stood against me in that quarter, as a bar to the pardon my friends were so urgently soliciting.

Elizabeth uttered an exclamation of surprise and horror.

I thought, Mr. Thomson, you knew the connexion that subsists between this young lady and your unfortunate friend,' said Lady Hertford, who was herself greatly astonished and concerned at the story she had just heard. Retire, child, I entreat.'

But Elizabeth begged to be permitted to stay; and, on her promise that she would enforce calmness upon herself, the indulgence was granted.

⚫ I suppose no one needs to be told that Mallet was a poet of the last century, and that he was held, in his own day, in no mean consideration. Some of the poets of his stamp (and he amongst the number) are now scarcely remembered in their works; yet good sense is always to be found in them, which is sometimes absent from poems of a present reputation.

'From whom, sir,' resumed her ladyship, did you hear this shocking report ?'

From Malloch,'* returned Thomson, 'who visits everywhere, and is acquainted with many of the friends of Mrs. Brett. He has no doubt that she has invented and propagated the falsehood-neither have I. Mr. Savage let me into her character long since. She states, it seems, that when her son was a lad, he found his way into her house by some means or another-she knows not how,-and made a forcible entrance into her apartment, where he endeavoured to murder her, but was prevented by her servants, whom her outcries brought to her assistance.'

'Good Heaven!' cried Elizabeth, clasping her hands, 'is it possible, Mrs. Brett, in the present dreadful situation of her son, can renew that charge against him?'

Then you have heard this before?' exclaimed Lady Hertford, seating herself by her side, and taking her hand tenderly. This young lady, sir,' to Thomson, was brought up by Mrs. Brett, and, I doubt not, can throw light upon this shocking calumny. Tell me, my love, what does it mean? I hope, and, indeed, believe Mr. Savage is not guilty of so dreadful a crime. There is no truth

in it?"

'None, madam. Happily, I was a witness to the scene upon which Mrs. Brett's charge is founded, Would that Mr. Lucas were alive! He also was present, and could have borne testimony to the truth of what I am about to tell you;' and she related the particulars of my first interview with the curse and cause of my existence.

Lady Hertford rang the bell when Elizabeth had concluded, and ordered her coach.

'I will go instantly, and crave an audience of her Majesty, and put her in possession of the truth. This Mrs. Brett, Mr. Thomson, has been doing good all this while, without intending it. When the Queen has heard us, she cannot, surely, any longer decline to exert her influence with the King.'

'I wish,' cried Thomson, 'I could find a name that was not too good for her,' and he rose, it seemed, with unusual animation,- no, I don't. I am glad the English language has no word that can comprise the full sense of her wickedness."

'You are right, sir,' said Lady Hertford, taking Elizabeth in her arms, and kissing her. We shall probably want you, my dear, but not now. Do not be alarmed. You must study to acquire a little self-possession before I return. I am truly glad, Mr. Thomson, you called upon me this morning.'

'I confess,' cried Thomson, 'that your ladyship's kind compliance. with the request that brought me here does not yield me so much happiness as the hope that I shall be indirectly instrumental to the service of my friend, Mr. Savage.'

Lady Hertford was admitted to the presence of the Queen, with

I forget whether Malloch (whom Dennis, the surly, but acute, old critic, because Malloch, like a fool, professed himself an atheist, used to call Moloch,)—I forget, I say, whether at the time of which I am writing Malloch had changed his name to Mallet. Thomson, however, mischievously persisted in addressing him as Malloch for many years after he had altered it.'-Note by Savage.

whom she had a long audience. She returned with a beaming coun

tenance.

'Her Majesty was greatly moved,' she said, 'when I told her the true story. There is something in truth, my dear, let the world say as it will, which is too much for the world when it speaks falsely. I have no doubt of our success. But the Queen has a mind to see you, and will be prepared to receive us early to-morrow morning.'

Her Majesty received the Countess and the beautiful girl (who in a world of goodness and innocence would have looked, herself, a queen,) very graciously. She made her relate very particularly the circumstance upon which my mother had grafted the lie; and asked many questions respecting Mrs. Brett and me, with the manner of answering which she appeared highly pleased.

'What, madam,' said the Queen, at length, to the Countess, still holding Elizabeth's hand, which she had condescended to take on her presentation to her, 'what are we to think of this lady, — this Mrs. Brett? I confess, although instances of the inhuman barbarity of parents towards their children have been recorded in history, and sometimes, unhappily, are presented to our notice, I never heard or read of such a mother. And so, my love,' turning to Elizabeth, you are certain Mr. Savage had no such design as she has reported? I take your answer from your eyes. But, I fear, after all, he has much to answer for. There is a lady, I am told, whom he has wounded severely

Your Majesty' exclaimed Elizabeth involuntarily. The arch look of the Queen embarrassed her. Her eyes sought the ground.

'Just here,' resumed the Queen, pointing to her heart. 'Silly girl! now you blush, I am glad none of my ladies are present. I know not what they would think of you.'

She arose with dignity.

Mr. Savage and his friend, Lady Hertford, are pardoned. His Majesty was pleased yesterday to extend a free pardon to both; and expressed great pleasure at hearing that so honourable and excellent a lady as the Countess of Hertford had interested herself in their

behalf.'

Elizabeth would have fallen upon her knees, but was withheld by the Queen, who took her two hands between her own.

'It is well, child,' she said, not a word. It will be painful to you-and to me. Nay, upon this occasion I can dispense with ceremony,' as Elizabeth lifted her hand to her lips; you are a very good girl. I shall remember you. Lady Hertford, we shall see you at our next drawing-room.'

It was at noon on that day that Elizabeth came to me at Newgate. Her story being finished, during which she had kept the Countess of Hertford prominent, various were the comments to which it gave rise; but, as these the reader can, and probably will, make for himself, I shall not record them.

Myte came in the evening, as he had promised. He entered the room shame-facedly, and as though half afraid to walk forward; but this was his usual affected foolery; for, upon being welcomed with cordiality, he at once resumed his natural manner. Having saluted the company generally, he went up and shook Gregory in a very friendly manner by the hand, hoping he should yet have him for a son-in-law. Which,' said he, it shall be Greg.'s fault if I do not;

་