IN THE TEST. MR. PEEBLES' STORY. 135 



tations, &c. In return she informed me that she 

 was the daughter of an officer of some rank in the 

 British army, who had been killed in Portugal ; and 

 that she was educating a young brother and main- 

 taining herself, on a small pension granted by 

 Government. She concluded by saying, that she had 

 read my advertisement, and that fate had whispered 

 her to answer it. When she had done, I fell on 

 one knee, seized one of her small white hands, and 

 imprinted a thousand kisses upon it, while she 

 gently strove to disengage it. * Sweet Juliana,' I 

 exclaimed, * consent to be mine, and my life shall 

 c be spent in making thee happy. You have won 

 ' my heart, and if you can think of me as a husband, 



* tell me so. Take till to-morrow to consider of it, 

 ' and in the mean time, do me the favour to accept 

 ' of this, 1 (and I placed fifty pounds in her hand), 

 ' as you appear in want of the common necessaries 



* of life. 1 After some pressing, she consented to 

 receive the money, and again entreating her to con- 

 sider my suit favourably, I took my leave. The 

 next day I called again, and was accepted, and felt 

 happier than I ever did before. Time flew on, and 

 day after day did I pour forth the adoration of my 

 soul at the feet of that woman ; but the poet was 

 right in the selection, in his couplet, of improba- 

 bilities 



Seek constancy in wine, or corn in chaff, 

 Believe a woman, or an epitaph. 



