veyed.

The anxiety, the firmness discovered in determining on this
understanding, somewhat alleviated the agony Miss Woodley endured, and
she began to hope, timely assistance might yet be given to her beloved
charge.

The man set out, meaning at all events to attempt her release; but
before he had proceeded far, the few friends that accompanied him, began
to reflect on the improbability of their success, against a nobleman,
surrounded by servants, with other attendants likewise, and, perhaps,
even countenanced by the father of the lady, whom they presumed to take
from him; or if not, while Lord Elmwood beheld the offence with
indifference, that indifference gave it a sanction, they might in vain
oppose. These cool reflections tending to their safety, had their weight
with the companions of the farmer; they all rode back, rejoicing at
their second thoughts, and left him to pursue his journey and prove his
valour by himself.

CHAPTER IX.

It was not with Sandford, as it had lately been with Rushbrook under the
displeasure of Lord Elmwood--to the latter he behaved, as soon as their
dissension was past, as if it had never happened--but to Sandford it was
otherwise--the resentment which he had repressed at the time of the
offence, lurked in his heart, and dwelt upon his mind for several days;
during which, he carefully avoided exchanging a word with him, and gave
every other demonstration of his anger.

Sandford, though experienced in the cruelty and ingratitude of the
world, yet could not without difficulty brook this severity, this
contumely, from a man, for whose welfare, ever since his infancy, he
had laboured; and whose happiness was more dear to him, in spite of all
his faults, than that of any other person. Even Lady Matilda was not so
dear to Sandford as her father--and he loved her more that she was Lord
Elmwood's child, than for any other cause.

Sometimes the old Priest, incensed beyond bearing, was on the point of
saying to his patron, "How, in my age, dare you thus treat the man, whom
in his youth you respected and revered?"

Sometimes instead of anger, he felt the tear, he was ashamed to own,
steal to his eye, and even fall down his cheek. Sometimes he left the
room half determined to leave the house--but these were all half
determinations; for he knew him with whom he had to deal too well, not
to know that he might be provoked into yet greater anger; and that
should he once rashly quit his ho