h
I shall send him, you may look on his return as infallible.

I send all yours and Temple's letters for your brother to-day: you
may expect to hear from him by the same mail with this.

I have only to say, I am,
A. Fermor.

LETTER 143.

To Colonel Rivers, at Quebec.

London, April 8.

My own happiness, my dear Rivers, in a marriage of love, makes me
extremely unwilling to prevent your giving way to a tenderness, which
promises you the same felicity, with so amiable a woman as both you
and Bell Fermor represent Miss Montague to be.

But, my dear Ned, I cannot, without betraying your friendship, and
hazarding all the quiet of your future days, dispense with myself from
telling you, though I have her express commands to the contrary, that
the peace, perhaps the life, of your excellent mother, depends on your
giving up all thoughts of a settlement in America, and returning
immediately to England.

I know the present state of your affairs will not allow you to marry
this charming woman here, without descending from the situation you
have ever held, and which you have a right from your birth to hold, in
the world.

Would you allow me to gratify my friendship for you, and shew, at
the same time, your perfect esteem for me, by commanding, what our
long affection gives you a right to, such a part of my fortune as I
could easily spare without the least inconvenience to myself, we might
all be happy, and you might make your Emily so: but you have already
convinced me, by your refusal of a former request of this kind, that
your esteem for me is much less warm than mine for you; and that you do
not think I merit the delight of making you happy.

I will therefore say no more on this subject till we meet, than that
I have no doubt this letter will bring you immediately to us.

If the tenderness you express for Miss Montague is yet conquerable,
it will surely be better for both it should be conquered, as fortune
has been so much less kind to each of you than nature; but if your
hearts are immoveably fixed on each other, if your love is of the kind
which despises every other consideration, return to the bosom of
friendship, and depend on our finding some way to make you happy.

If you persist in refusing to share my fortune, you can have no
objection to my using all my interest, for a friend and brother so
deservedly dear to me, and in whose happiness I shall ever find my own.

Allow me now to sp