Page:Tragical history of Jane Arnold (1).pdf/9

 he could meet with some woman with an independant fortune in her own hands: Indeed, for no other purpose than gaining such an end would he ever have bestowed a thought on marriage, but always treated the mention of that sacred ceremony with unhallowed redicule. As yet, no fair one, calculated to gratify his avaricious passions, had fallen in his way, but many a hapless fair one had become the victim of his seducive arts. The beauty of the interesting Jane, and the dispositions of herself and family, who, virtuous and benevolent in themselves, suspected no guile in others, appeared to this monster of deceit as a fair opportunity to accomplish his base design, by luring her from a peaceful home.

This depraved youth felt no difficulty in persuading Jane than his father would be averse to his marraigemarriage [sic] with one who had so small a portion. Alas! this he knew to be a false assertion, for Mr Percival would have very readily consented, so great was his opinion of farmer Arnold’s daughters, to have received any one of them into his family, but more especially Jane, who had ever been a great favourite with the old gentleman.-Every one beheld a strong partiality between Henry and Jane, and concluded that it would lead to a lasting attachment; but none, no not even Rosetta, or the brother and sisters of the maiden, even supposed that their intercourse had proceeded to such a length. Every night, when the rest of farmer Arnold’s