'Thus let me hold thee to my heart,
And ev'ry care resign:
And shall we never, never part,
My life,--my all that's mine.

'No, never, from this hour to part,
We'll live and love so true;
The sigh that tends thy constant heart,
Shall break thy Edwin's too.'

While this ballad was reading, Sophia seemed to mix an air of
tenderness with her approbation. But our tranquillity was soon
disturbed by the report of a gun just by us, and immediately
after a man was seen bursting through the hedge, to take up the
game he had killed. This sportsman was the 'Squire's chaplain,
who had shot one of the blackbirds that so agreeably entertained
us. So loud a report, and so near, startled my daughters; and I
could perceive that Sophia in the fright had thrown herself into
Mr Burchell's arms for protection. The gentleman came up, and
asked pardon for having disturbed us, affirming that he was
ignorant of our being so near. He therefore sate down by my
youngest daughter, and, sportsman like, offered her what he had
killed that morning. She was going to refuse, but a private look
from her mother soon induced her to correct the mistake, and
accept his present, though with some reluctance. My wife, as
usual, discovered her pride in a whisper, observing, that Sophy
had made a conquest of the chaplain, as well as her sister had of
the 'Squire. I suspected, however, with more probability, that
her affections were placed upon a different object. The
chaplain's errand was to inform us, that Mr Thornhill had