Mercator's voyage was profperous; and after an ábfence of about ten months he came back. The woman to whom her husband left the whole management of her lodgings, and who perfifted in her purpofe, foon found an opportunity to put it in execution. Mercator, as his part of the contract had been punctually fulfilled, thought he had fome caufe to be offended, and infifted to know her reasons for compelling him to leave her house. These his hostess, who was indeed a friendly woman, was very unwilling to give; and as he perceived that fhe evaded his question, he became more folicitous to obtain an answer. After much hesitation, which perhaps had a worfe effect than any tale which malice could have invented, fhe told him, that "Madam kept a great deal of company, and often "ftaid out very late; that she had always been used "to quiet and regularity; and was determined to let "her apartment to fome perfon in a more private "station."

At this account Mercator changed countenance; for he inferred from it just as much more than truth, as he believed it to be lefs. After fome moments of fufpence, he conjured her to conceal nothing from him, with an emotion which convinced her that she had already faid too much. She then affured him, that " he had no reason to be alarmed;

"for

"for that she had no exception to his lady, but those "gaieties which her station and the fashion fuffici

ently authorised." Mercator's fufpicions, however, were not wholly removed; and he began to think he had found a confidant whom it would be his intereft to truft: he therefore, in the folly of his jealoufy, confeffed, that he had fome doubts con

cerning his wife, which it was of the utmost im'portance to his honour and his peace to refolve: •he intreated that he might continue in the apartment another year: that, as he should again leave 'the kingdom in a fhort time, fhe would fuffer no incident, which might confirm either his hopes or his fears, to escape her notice in his abfence; and at his return fhe would give him fuch an account as would at least deliver him from the torment of fufpenfe, and determine his future conduct.'

There is no fophiftry more general than that by which we justify a bufy and scrupulous inquiry after fecrets, which to discover is to be wretched without hope of redress; and no fervice to which others are so easily engaged as to affift in the fearch. To communicate fufpicions of matrimonial infidelity, especially to a husband, is, by a strange mixture of folly and malignity, deemed not only an act of justice but of friendship; though it is too late to prevent an evil, which, whatever be its guilt, can diffuse wretchedness

wretchedness only in proportion as it is known. It is no wonder, therefore, that the general kindnefs of Mercator's confidant was on this occafion overborne; she was flattered by the truft that had been placed in her, and the power with which fhe was invefted; fhe confented to Mercator's propofal, and promifed that she would with the utmoft fidelity execute her commiffion.

Mercator, however, concealed his fufpicions from his wife, and, indeed, in her prefence they were forgotten. Her manner of life he began seriously to difapprove; but being well acquainted with her temper, in which great fweetness was blended with a high spirit, he would not embitter the pleasure of a fhort ftay by altercation, chiding, and tears; but, when her mind was melted into tenderness at his departure, he clafped her in an extacy of fondness to his bofom, and intreated her to behave with referve and circumfpection; " because," faid he, " I "know that my father keeps a watchful eye upon "your conduct, which may, therefore, confirm or "remove his difpleafure, and either intercept or " beftow fuch an increase of my fortune as will pre"vent the pangs of feparation which muft otherwise "fo often return, and in a fhort time unite us to

part no more." To this caution fhe had then no power to reply; and they parted with mutual proteftations of unalterable love. Flavilla,

i

Flavilla, foon after fhe was thus left in a kind of widowhood a fecond time, found herself with child; and within fomewhat lefs than eight months after Mercator's return from his firft voyage, fhe happened to stumble as fhe was going up ftairs, and being immediately taken ill, was brought to bed before the next morning. The child, though its birth had been precipitated more than a month, was not remarkably small, nor had any infirmity which endangered its life.

It was now neceffary, that the vigils of whift and the tumults of balls and vifits fhould, for a while, be fufpended; and in the interval of languor and retirement, Flavilla firft became thoughtful. She often reflected upon Mercator's caution when they laft parted, which had made an indelible impreffion upon her mind, though it had produced no alteration in her conduct: notwithstanding the manner in which it was expreffed, and the reafon upon which it was founded, fhe began to fear that it might have been fecretly prompted by jealoufy. The birth, therefore, of her first child in his abfence, at a time when, if it had not been premature, it could not poffibly have been his, was an accident which greatly alarmed her: but there was yet another, for which it was ftill lefs in her power to account, and which, therefore, alarmed her ftill more.

It happened that fome civilities which he received from a lady which fat next her at an opera, and whom she had never seen before, introduced a converfation, which fo much delighted her, that she gave her a preffing invitation to vifit her: this invitation was accepted, and in a few days the vifit was paid. Flavilla was not lefs pleased at the fecond interview, than fhe had been at the firft; and without making any other enquiry concerning the lady than where she lived, took the first opportunity to wait on her. The apartment in which she was received, was the ground-floor of an elegant house, at a fmall distance from St. James's. It happened that Flavilla was placed near the window; and a party of the Horfe-Guards riding through the ftreet, fhe expected to fee fome of the royal family, and haftily threw up the fash. A gentleman who was paffing by at the fame inftant, turned about at the noise of the window, and Flavilla no fooner faw his face, than fhe knew him to be the father of Mercator. After looking first stedfastly at her, and then glancing his eye at the lady whom he was vifiting, he affected a contemptuous fneer, and went on. Flavilla, who had been thrown into fome confufion by the fudden and unexpected fight of a perfon, whom she knew confidered her as the disgrace of his family, and the ruin of his child, now changed

countenance,