200 KILWORTHY. 



eyes the good cheer and hospitality of her lord ; but 

 Sir John gently restrained her anxiety, and address- 

 ing his brother, desired him to uncover the dish 

 before him, which he doing, the company were sur- 

 prised to find it full of writings; whereupon Sir 

 John told them, that he was now to do what he was 

 sure his father would have done, if he had lived to 

 see that happy change which they now all saw in 

 his brother ; and therefore he here freely restored to 

 him the whole estate. Saying thus he left his 

 seat, amidst the pleasure and admiration of his 

 brother and friends, and the ill-concealed grief of 

 Lady Winifred, who had stood like a statue during 

 the whole of her husband's harangue, with eyes and 

 mouth distended wide^ swallowing with horror the 

 words, as each one gave a fatal blow to all her 

 dignity and pride. Poor dame Winny ! it was 

 thouglit she would never recover the shock, but 

 vanity made her swallow the bitter pill, and she 

 footed it with the new heir as featly through a 

 merry dance as any lady of her rank in the hall ; 

 and, as for Sir John, we could say with truth not a 

 heart was lighter, or a step more gay than his that 

 night ; and the praise of his generous deed has been 

 heard through all the country round, from that time 

 forth even unto the present day. 



R. P. E. 

 Parkwood, 



