or strong means, to lure or intimidate Amelia to her purpose; and that,
while she carried on this part of the plot with her daughter in
private, she should appear to Mr. Palmer to yield to his persuasions by
degrees, to make the young people happy their own way, and to be
persuaded reluctantly out of her aversion to _sprigs of quality_. To be
sure, it would be necessary to give fresh explanations and instructions
to Sir John Hunter, through his sister, with the new parts that he and
she were to act in this domestic drama. As soon as Mrs. Beaumont
returned from her airing, therefore, she retired to her own apartment,
and wrote a note of explanation, with a proper proportion of sentiment
and _verbiage,_ to her dear Albina, begging to see her and Sir John
Hunter the very next day. The horse, which had been lamed by the nail,
now, of course, had recovered; and it was found by Mrs. Beaumont that
she had been misinformed, and that he had been lamed only by sudden
cramp. Any excuse she knew would be sufficient, in the present state of
affairs, to the young lady, who was more ready to be deceived than even
our heroine was disposed to deceive. Indeed, as Machiavel says, "as
there are people willing to cheat, there will always be those who are
ready to be cheated."




CHAPTER VII.

"Vous m'enchantez, mais vous m'epouvantez;
Ces pieges-la sont-ils bien ajustes?
Craignez vous point de vous laisser surprendre
Dans les filets que vos mains savent tendre?"
VOLTAIRE.