am I repaid! Either be mine alone, or never again approach "LUCY GARDENER." The other papers were of little confequence. I deliberated fome time what I fhould do with this precious morceau; at laft I refolved to burn it, and give the remainder, with as much compofure as poffible, to Sir William's valet, to restore to his mafter. I fancied he would hardly challenge me about the billet, as he is the moft carelefs man in the universe. You will perceive there is another caufe for Lord Biddulph feeking to depreciate my hufband. He has private revenge to gratify, for the lofs of his mistress. Oh! what wretches are thefe men! Is the whole world compofed of fuch ?-No! even in this valley of vice I fee fome exceptions; fome, who do honour to the fpecies to which they belong. But I must not whisper to myself their perfections; and it is lefs dangerous for me to dwell upon the vices of the one than the virtues of the other. Adieu! LET LETTER XIX. To Mifs GRENVILLE. O keep my mind conftantly employ T ed upon different objects, and pre vent my thoughts attaching themselves to improper ones, I have lately attended the card-tables. From being an indifferent fpectator of the various fashionable games, I became an actor in them; and at length play proved very agreeable. As I was an utter novice at games of skill, thofe of chance prefented themfelves as the best. At first I risked only trifles; but, by little and little, my party encroached upon the rules I had laid down, and I could no longer avoid playing their stake. But I have done with play for ever. It is no longer the innocent amusement I thought it; and I must find out fome other method of spending: my time-fince this might in the end be deftructive. The other night, at a party, we made up a fet at bragg, which was my favou-rite game. After various viciffitudes, I loft loft every fhilling I had in my pocket; and, being a broken-merchant, fat filently by the table. Every body was profufe in the offers of accommodating me with cash; but I refufed to accept their contribution. Lord Biddulph, whom you know to be justly my averfion, was very earneft; but I was equally peremptory. However, fome time after, I could not refift the entreaty of Baron Ton-hausen, who, in the genteeleft manner, intreated me to make use of his purse for the evening; with great difficulty he prevailed on me to borrow ten guineas-and was once more fet up. Fortune now took a favourable turn, and when the party broke up, I had repaid the Baron, replaced my original stock, and brought off ninety-five guineas. Flushed with fuccefs, and more attached than ever to the game; I invited the fet to meet the day after the next at my house. I even counted the hours till the time arrived. Reft departed from my eye-lids, and I felt all the eagerness of expectation. About twelve o'clock of the day my company were to meet, I received a pacquet, quet, which I inftantly knew to be from my ever-watchful Sylph. I will give you. the tranfcript. To Lady STANLEY. "Ifhould be unworthy the character I have affumed, if my pen was to lie dormant while I am fenfible of the unhappy predilection which your ladyship has difcovered for gaming. Play, under proper restrictions,-which however in this licentious town can never take place-may not be altogether prejudicial to the morals of thofe who engage in it for trifling fums. Your Ladyfhip finds it not practicable always to follow your own inclinations, even in that particular. The triumphant joy which fparkled in your eyes when fuccefs crowned your endeavours, plainly indicated you took no common fatisfaction in the game. You, being a party fo deeply interefted, could not discover the fame appearances of joy and triumph in the countenances of fome of those you played with; nor, had you made the obfervation, could you have gueffed the caufe. It has been faid, by those who will will fay any thing to carry on an argument which cannot be fupported by reason, that cards prevent company falling upon topics of scandal; it is a fcandal to human nature, that it should want fuch a resource from fo hateful and detefted a vice. But be it fo. It can only be fo while the fum played for is of too trifling a concern to excite the anxiety which avaricious minds experience; and every one is more or lefs avaricious who gives up his time to cards. If your ladyship could fearch into the causes of the unhappiness which prevails in too many families in this metropolis, you would find the fource to be gaming either on the one fide or the other. Whatever, appears licentious or vicious in men, in your fex becomes fo in a tenfold degree. The paffionate exclamation -- the half-uttered imprecation-and the gloomy pallidness of the lofing gamefter, ill accords with the female delicacy. But the evil refts not here. When a woman has been drawn-in to lose larger fums than her allowance can defray-even if she can fubmit to let her trades-people fuffer from her |