of you seem to me cut out to live upon
a small fortune, you would both like to live in a manner suitable to
your station." To which she added, "I can assure you, Mr. Cranstoun,
had my daughter L10,000 and in my disposal, I would give her to you
with the greatest pleasure. There is one thing, continued she, I
think, Mr. Cranstoun, I ought to inform you of. Notwithstanding the
world reports Mr. Blandy to be able to give his daughter down a
handsome fortune, I am sure he cannot do it; tho' I was ever made a
stranger to his circumstances." To which he replied, "If Mr. Blandy
will give me his daughter, I shall not trouble him about that." This,
as far as I can recollect, is the substance of what passed on Mr.
Cranstoun's first making his addresses to me.

After the last conference, my mamma and Mr. Cranstoun had several
others to the same effect; the last of which was followed by Mr.
Cranstoun's journey to Bath. He attended his uncle. Lord Mark Kerr,
thither; but before he left Henley, he obtained my father's leave to
correspond with me. He went to Bath, if my memory fails me not, in the
latter season of the year 1747; after I had been above a year
acquainted with him. He staid at Bath about five or six weeks; and,
after his return to Henley, lived at our house, with my father's and
mother's approbation, five or six months. At the end of this term, he
went up to town; and, within a few days after his arrival there, wrote
to my father, to beg; the favour of him to comply with his request,
that I might be permitted to stay for him till his unhappy affair with
Miss Murray (for so was his supposed wife called) was finally
determined. This, he said, he was assured, by the best judges, must
end in a little time with certain success: which, as he added, would
make him the happiest man living; and he doubted not but he should
communicate the same degree of happiness to me, by the tender
treatment I should meet with from him. My father gave the letter to me
with a smile, and told me, "that was a letter which he believed I
should read with some pleasure." After I had read it, I said, "What
will you answer it, sir?"' To which he replied, "Not at all." Upon
this, looking earnestly at him, said, "Not at all, papa?" "No,"
replied he, "you shall answer it yourself." "In what manner, sir?"
subjoined I. "As," returned he, "is most agreeable to you." To which,
however, he thought fit to add, "Tho' I give you leave in this manner,
yet if you