d they were of a date
far back. The one fresh, and evidently a copy of some other letter, the
other yellow, and with the folds worn through in several places. The
former was a copy of a letter of young John Hastings to the unfortunate
girl whom he had seduced, soothing her under her distress of mind, and
calling her his "dear little wife." It was with the greatest difficulty
she could be induced to part with the original, it would seem, and had
obtained a copy before she consented to do so. The latter was the
antidote to the former. It was a letter from old Sir John Hastings to
her father, and was to the following effect:

"Sir:

"As you have thought fit distinctly to withdraw all vain and
fraudulent pretences of any thing but an illicit connection
between your daughter and my late son, and to express
penitence for the insolent threats you used, I will not
withhold due support from my child's offspring, nor from the
unfortunate girl to whom he behaved ill. I therefore write
this to inform you that I will allow her the sum of two
hundred pounds per annum, as long as she demeans herself
with propriety and decorum. I will also leave directions in
my will for securing to her and her son, on their joint
lives, a sum of an equal amount, which may be rendered
greater if her behavior for the next few years is such as I
can approve.

"I am, sir, your obedient servant,

"JOHN HASTINGS."

Marlow folded up the letter with a smile, and the Commissary proceeded,
with all due formalities, to mark and register the whole correspondence
as found in the possession of Mrs. Ayliffe.

When this was done, what may be called the examination of that good lady
was continued, but the sight of those letters in the hands of Marlow,
and the well-satisfied smile with which he read them, had convinced her
that all farther attempt at concealment would be vain. Terror had with
her a great effect in unloosing the tongue, and, as is very common in
such cases, she flew into the extreme of loquacity, told every thing she
knew, or thought, or imagined, and being, as is common with very weak
people, of a prying and inquisitive turn, she could furnish ample
information in regard to all the schemes and contrivances by which her
son had succeeded in convincing even Sir Philip Hastings himself of his
legitimacy.

Her statements involved Mr. Shanks the lawy