Page:Records of the Life of the Rev. John Murray.djvu/96

86. She hoped for divine support, during the arduous trial, to which she was called to submit; and she most earnestly solicited my prayers in her behalf. A second letter was soon handed me, giving an account of the second interview. "Well, my dear child," said the old gentleman, "what am I to expect? am I to lose my daughter, the comfort of my declining life? Or will you have compassion upon my old age, and relinquish this interested, designing man?" "If, my dear sir, I had any reason for supposing the person, of whom you speak, such as you believe him, the relinquishment, which you require, would not cost an effort; but, sir, Mr. Murray is an honest man, he has a sincere affection for me, I have given him reason to hope, and, until I am convinced he is unworthy of my esteem, I cannot consent to treat him as if he were." Here the passions of the old gentleman began to rise, whn the dear girl besought him to be calm, assuring him it was neither her wish, nor intention to leave him; nay more, she would pledge her word never to leave him, while she could have the felicity of attending upon him, if he would not insist upon her violating her faith, tacitly given to me. But this would not do; she must abandon her lover or her fortune; and finding her determined, he arose from his chair, and seizing his will, in which he had bequeathed her one thousand pounds sterling, he furiously flung it into the flames, immediately causing another will to be written, in which he gave to her brother, the portion designed for her: and thus did this young incendiary obtain the object, for which he had laboured, and to which he had most nefariously, and darkly, grouped his way. I had now the felicity of learning, that my Eliza had a stronger value for me, than for her patrimony; and she observed to her grandfather, that he had furnished her with an opportunity of proving the sincerity of my attachment. "If," said she, "his views are such, as you have been taught to believe, he will shortly relinquish me, and thus have I, most opportunely, obtained a criterion." Never did I receive a piece of intelligence productive of so much heart-felt pleasure, as the certainty of that potent prepossession, which could thus enable her, whom I esteemed the most perfect of human beings, to surrender up, without a sigh, the gifts of fortune. Words cannot delineate, how greatly I conceived myself enriched by this blissful assurance. Still I met the brother of Eliza, at the Tabernacle, and occasionally at private societies, and still he wore the semblance of amity. Previous to this event, the elder Mr. Neale, who was always my friend, had become the head of a family; during a few weeks, we continued in statu quo, when my invidious calumniator