r usual satisfaction, she burst into a
violent fit of passion, and threw it back to him. "You may keep your
cash yourself," said she. "It is all over--we want no more money.
You are a ruined man! A wicked creature, scraping and working as we
have done for her!" Bragwell trembled, but durst not ask what he
dreaded to hear. His wife spared him the trouble, by crying out as
soon as her rage permitted: "The girl is ruined; Polly is gone off!"
Poor Bragwell's heart sunk within him; he grew sick and giddy, and
as his wife's rage swallowed up her grief, so, in his grief, he
almost forgot his anger. The purse fell from his hand, and he cast a
look of anguish upon it, finding, for the first time, that money
could not relieve his misery.

Mr. Worthy, who, though much concerned, was less discomposed, now
called to mind, that the young lady had not returned with her mother
and sister the night before; he begged Mrs. Bragwell to explain this
sad story. She, instead of soothing her husband, fell to reproaching
him. "It is all your fault," said she; "you were a fool for your
pains. If I had had my way the girls would never have kept company
with any but men of substance, and then they could not have been
ruined." "Mrs. Bragwell," said Worthy, "if she has chosen a bad man,
it would be still a misfortune, even though he had been rich." "O,
that would alter the case," said she, "a _fat sorrow is better than
a lean one_. But to marry a beggar, there is no sin like that." Here
Miss Betsy, who stood sullenly by, put in a word, and said, her
sister, however, had not disgraced herself by having married a
farmer or a tradesman; she had, at least, made choice of a
gentleman. "What marriage! what gentleman!" cried the afflicted
father. "Tell me the worst;" He was now informed that his darling
daughter was gone off with a strolling player, who had been acting
in the neighboring villages lately. Miss Betsy again put in, saying,
he was no stroller, but a gentleman in disguise, who only acted for
his own diversion. "Does he so," said the now furious Bragwell,
"then he shall be transported for mine."

At this moment a letter was brought him from his new son-in-law, who
desired his leave to wait upon him, and implore his forgiveness. He
owned he had been shopman to a haberdasher; but thinking his person
and talents ought not to be thrown away upon trade, and being also a
little behindhand, he had taken to the stage with a view of making
his fortune