Page:Maria, or, The wanderer reclaim'd.pdf/10



What better can we do, than proſtrate fall

Before him reverent; and then confeſs

Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears

Wat’ring the ground; and with our ſighs the air

Frequenting, ſent from hearts contrite, in ſign

Of ſorrow unfeign’d, and humiliation meek.

Y reſolution had (as I fancied) the deſired effect. Mr. G** told me, he would exert all his endeavours to accompliſh our wiſhes; and ſwearing eternal faith, comſtancy and love, profeſſed the moſt honourable intentions. The next evening he came to me with the higheſt gaiety of ſoul; and ſcarce entered the room before he produced a paper, which had all the appearance and form of a licence. A ſpecial one, he aſſured me, it was; and a clergyman, he added, would ſoon attend to join our hands, and give me to his arms. I had ſcruples, but he removed them: for, alas! how readily do we credit what we wiſh to be true; and how eaſy was it to impoſe on a young girl who knew nothing of theſe matters? A clergyman came in leſs than an hour; but I muſt freely confeſs, that his miſerable appearance ſhocked and alarmed me; though