lty; Lieutenant
Templemore's regiment was quartered in a town in Yorkshire, which was
some trifling distance from Finsbury Square; and to be at Mr.
Witherington's dinner-table at 6 P.M., with the necessity of appearing
at parade every morning at 9 A.M., was a dilemma not to be got out of.
Several letters were interchanged upon this knotty subject; and at last
it was agreed that Mr. Templemore should sell out, and come up to Mr.
Witherington with his pretty wife. He did so, and found that it was much
more comfortable to turn out at nine o'clock in the morning to a good
breakfast than to a martial parade. But Mr. Templemore had an honest
pride and independence of character which would not permit him to eat
the bread of idleness, and after a sojourn of two months in most
comfortable quarters, without a messman's bill, he frankly stated his
feelings to Mr. Witherington, and requested his assistance to procure
for himself an honourable livelihood. Mr. Witherington, who had become
attached to them both, would have remonstrated, observing that Cecilia
was his own cousin, and that he was a confirmed bachelor; but, in this
instance, Mr. Templemore was firm, and Mr. Witherington very unwillingly
consented. A mercantile house of the highest respectability required a
partner who could superintend their consignments to America. Mr.
Witherington advanced the sum required; and in a few weeks Mr. and Mrs.
Templemore sailed for New York.

[Illustration: '_That will do, Jonathan; I'll ring for coffee
presently._']

Mr. Templemore was active and intelligent; their affairs prospered; and
in a few years they anticipated a return to their native soil with a
competence. But the autumn of the second year after their arrival proved
very sickly; the yellow fever raged; and among the thousands who were
carried off Mr. Templemore was a victim, about three weeks after his
wife had been brought to bed of twins. Mrs. Templemore rose from her
couch a widow and the mother of two fine boys. The loss of Mr.
Templemore was replaced by the establishment with which he was
connected, and Mr. Witherington offered to his cousin that asylum which,
in her mournful and unexpected bereavement, she so much required. In
three months her affairs were arranged; and with her little boys hanging
at the breasts of two negro nurses--for no others could be procured who
would undertake the voyage--Mrs. Templemore, with Coco as male servant,
embarked on board of the good s