Page:Tragical history of George Barnwell (2).pdf/8

 of his felicity was to render diſcontent triumphant. He had been a neighbour of Sir James's for many years, but ſaw no company at his own house and ſeldom accepted an invitation from any other; whenever he did, it was his invariable cuſtom to ſingle out one from the young part of the company with whom he would abruptly enter into converſation. Young Barnwell was ſingled out for this purpoſe: and they entered into a long diſcourſe in which each appeared to take an intereſt. Mental appeared leſs and leſs diſguſting in the eyes of George, and George delighted old Mental, who expreſſed a wiſh that this might not be the laſt of their converſation. "You are an inmate of Sir James's, I preſume," ſaid he "For the preſent, replied Barnwell; but in a few weeks I ſhall quit this place for London." —— "London! (cried Mental) What takes you to that focus of corruption and folly?" —— "My uncle has moſt generouſly entered into a treaty with a merchant there, a ſhare of whoſe concern is to become mine after the uſual initiation." —— "A merchant! (exclaimed Mental) Can you condemn your noble faculties to courſes of Exchange? Have you thought what you are about to undertake? As you value your happineſs for life reflect; now is the important moment, the period of your exiſtence, that will gild with pleaſure or darken with diſcontent, every ſcene as yet behind the veil of time: I feel a lively intereſt in your welfare, and if you can truſt yourſelf with me for an an hour tomorrow, I will venture to ſay you will not regret it."