MATTHEW AND JEMIMA. 301 



VOL. II. CHAP. I. THE DISCOVERY. 



THE fatigue which had sent Mrs. Golightly so early to bed, kept 

 her there until an unusually late hour, and the clock had already 

 struck ten, before she rang her bell, and desired her daughter Jemima 

 to be sent to her. A few minutes elapsed when the breathless maid, 

 running into the room, exclaimed, " Miss Jemima, ma'am, O dear, 

 is not to be found ! " 



"Not to be found !" echoed the mistress. 



" Not to be found !" reiterated the maid. 



" But here, ma'am," continued the latter, " is a note which I found 

 lying on Miss Jemima's table." 



The elegant specimen of caligraphy was handed to the lady, and 

 she learned from it what ill-natured people have not failed to insi- 

 nuate she pretty well guessed would happen, and had taken no ex- 

 traordinary pains to prevent, namely, that her daughter was six or 

 seven hours on her road to Gretna Green, with a young man of three 

 or four thousand per annum. 



Scandalous surmise ! 



If you had been present on this trying occasion, you would have 

 seen how Mrs. Golightly's heart sickened at her daughter's impru- 

 dence ! How the tears trickled down her maternal cheeks ! How 

 it required the aid of all the varieties of salts and essences to pre- 

 vent a perfect evannissement ! the doubt would have vanished from 

 your mind ; but there are some ill-natured people who believe any- 

 thing. 



As soon as Mrs. Golightly's nerves were a little pacified, and she 

 had finished her toilet and her breakfast, she bethought herself, 

 probably, of the ancient saying, Nemo solus sapit ; and forthwith dis- 

 patched a messenger to Mr. Robinson, her " man of business," that 

 she might consult with him on this unforeseen and overwhelming ca- 

 lamity. 



CHAP. II. THE MAN OF BUSINESS. 



Mr. ROBINSON was a thorough man of business, and answered to 

 the summons sooner than might have been expected ; for Mrs. Go- 

 lightly was not one of his best clients ; and his politeness towards her 

 was to be attributed less to her actual value than to the expectation 

 that her countenance might lead to something. Mr. Robinson was a 

 prudent man, and cast his eyes forward. She might be left a fortune, 

 she might marry again or her daughter in short, Robinson put 

 on his hat, and walked slowly towards his client's house. 



Mrs. Golightly received him with all imaginable decorum, and 

 with that subdued tone which betokens a spirit chastened by adversity. 



" Ah ! Mr. Robinson !" and a heavy sigh escaped from her troubled 

 bosom, " ah ! Mr. Robinson !" and a tear trickled down her cheek. 



" Why, madam," said the man of law, " I am sorry to see you 

 thus ; what may be the matter ? " 



'' My daughter, Sir ! my poor daughter ! " 



" Your daughter Jemima ? well, I hope ? " 



