and at his request recounted to him the passages of my life, and he
gratified me with the particulars of his story.

"Careless of life," he said, "and unable to live in a place where every
object recalled the memory of my dear Charlotte, I little suspected that
my father's unkindness would have descended to my innocent orphan, when
I set out for France. From Paris I accompanied a young nobleman as tutor
to the Court of Spain, and from Spain I came to South America, where for
sixteen years heaven has prospered my undertakings. Your fate I could
never learn, notwithstanding all my enquiries."

Presently Strap arrived, whom my father at once took by the hand,
saying, "Is this the honest man who befriended you so much in your
distress? I will soon put it in the power of my son to reward you for
your good offices in his behalf."

Shortly afterwards, Don Rodrigo, who had already remitted twenty
thousand pounds to Holland, settled his affairs, converted his effects
into silver and gold, visited and took leave of all his friends; and,
coming on board of my uncle's ship, with the first favourable wind we
sailed from the Rio de la Plata, and in three months after made the
Lizard.

It is impossible to express the joy I felt at the sight of English
ground! Don Rodrigo was not unmoved, and Strap shed tears of gladness.

My father and I went ashore immediately at Portsmouth, leaving Strap
with the captain to go round with the ship. I rode across country into
Sussex, where I learnt that Narcissa was in London, and that her brother
was married, and vowed his sister should lose her fortune if she married