How he came to have so much influence as to defeat their intentions, still remains a secret to me; but I am convinced he was ever our warmest sincerest friend.' 'You amaze me, my dear,' cried I; 'but now I find my first suspicions of Mr Thornhill's baseness were too well grounded: but he can triumph in security; for he is rich and we are poor.

But tell me, my child, sure it was no small temptation that could thus obliterate all the impressions of such an education, and so virtuous a disposition as thine.' 'Indeed, Sir,' replied she, 'he owes all his triumph to the desire I had of making him, and not myself, happy.

I knew that the ceremony of our marriage, which was privately performed by a popish priest, was no way binding, and that I had nothing to trust to but his honour.' 'What,' interrupted I, 'and were you indeed married by a priest, and in orders ?'--'Indeed, Sir, we were,' replied she, 'though we were both sworn to conceal his name.'-- 'Why then, my child, come to my arms again, and now you are a thousand times more welcome than before; for you are now his wife to all intents and purposes; nor can all the laws of man, tho' written upon tables of adamant, lessen the force of that sacred connexion.' 'Alas, Papa,' replied she, 'you are but little acquainted with his villainies: he has been married already, by the same priest, to six or eight wives more, whom, like me, he has deceived and abandoned.' 'Has he so ?' cried I, 'then we must hang the priest, and you shall inform against him to-morrow.'-- 'But Sir,' returned she, 'will that be right, when I am sworn to secrecy ?'--'My dear,' I replied, 'if you have made such a promise, I cannot, nor will I tempt you to break it.

Even tho' it may benefit the public, you must not inform against him.

In all human institutions a smaller evil is allowed to procure a greater good; as in politics, a province may be given away to secure a kingdom; in medicine, a limb may be lopt off, to preserve the body.