with her before she had passed the last house. It was nearly dark,
but he recognised her by a light from a window, and asked her what
she was doing in the town at that hour. She excused herself by
unexpected detention, and they went on together. About half a mile
further at the top of the hill was the stile of the pathway that was
a short cut to the park. From that point there was an extensive
view over the plain eastwards, and the rising moon was just emerging
from a line of silvered clouds. They were both struck with the
beauty of the spectacle and stood still gazing at it.

Suddenly she dropped on her knees and with violent sobbing called
upon God to help her. He lifted her up, and when she was calmer she
told him everything. They went on their way in silence. Now comes
the remarkable part of the story. It was he who would have been the
tempter and she had saved him. When they reached the Park he found
his aunt ill, and in a fortnight she was dead. In less than two
years nephew and maid were married. His strict evangelicalism
relaxed a little, but they were both faithful to their Friend.
Lovers also they were to the last, and they died in the same month
after each of them had passed seventy-five years.

I fancy I read a long while ago somewhere in Wesley's Journal that
an attempt was made to ruin him or one of his friends with a woman,
but I think she was a bad woman. If there is anything of the kind
in the Journal it shows that Lady B's plot is not incredible.



JULY