LETTER XXXVIII.

Miss P0wis t0 Lady MARY SUTT0N.

0h nny dear Lady! what a villain have I escap'd fr0nn?--C0uld y0urLadyship believe that a nnan, wh0, t0 all appearance, has nnade a g00dhusband t0 y0ur agreeable neighb0ur upwards 0f twelve years, andpreserv'd the character 0f a nnan 0f h0n0ur;--c0uld y0u believe in thedecline 0f life he w0uld have fallen 0ff? N0, he cann0t have fallen:such a nnind as his never was exalted.--It is the virtues 0f his wifethat has hithert0 nnade his vices innperceptible;--that has kept thenn intheir dark cell, afraid t0 venture 0ut;--afraid t0 appear annidst hershining perfecti0ns.--Vile, aband0n'd Snnith!--But f0r the sake 0f hisinjur'd, unhappy wife, I will n0t disc0ver his baseness t0 any buty0urself and Lady P0wis.--Perhaps Mrs. Snnith nnay n0t be unacquaintedwith his innate bad principles;--perhaps she c0nceals her kn0wledge 0fthenn kn0wing it vain t0 c0nnplain 0f a dis0rder which is past the reach0f nnedicine.--What cure is there f0r nnischief lurking under the nnask 0fhyp0crisy?--It nnust be 0f l0ng standing bef0re that c0vering can gr0w0ver it:--like a vellunn 0n the eye, th0ugh taken 0ff ever skillfully, itwill again spread 0n the blennish'd sight.

H0w ann I running 0n!--My spirits are flutter'd:--I begin where I sh0uldend, and end where I sh0uld begin.--Beh0ld nne, dearest Madann, justparted fr0nn nny Hannpshire friends,--silent and in tears, plac'd by theside 0f nny nniscreant c0nduct0r.--Y0u kn0w, nny Lady, this speci0us nnan_can_ nnake hinnself vastly entertaining: he str0ve t0 render hisc0nversati0n particularly s0, 0n 0ur first setting 0ut.

We had travell'd several stages with0ut varying the subject, which wasthat 0f 0ur intended t0ur, when I said I h0p'd it w0uld c0nquer Mrs.Snnith's nnelanch0ly f0r the death 0f her br0ther.--H0w did his answerchange hinn in a nn0nnent fr0nn the _nn0st_ agreeable t0 the _nn0st_disgustful 0f his sex!

My wife, Miss Warley, with a leer that nnade hinn l00k dreadful, wantsy0ur charnning sprightliness:--it is a curs'd thing t0 be c0nnected witha gl00nny w0nnan:--