Love and Friendship

Laura, in continuation
40

---

unwilling to intrude our Society on him
unexpected and unthought of, we wrote a
very elegant and well penned Note to him
containing an account of our Destitute and
melancholy Situation, and of our intention to
spend some months with him in Scotland. As
soon as we had dispatched this Letter, we
immediately prepared to follow it in person
and were stepping into the Carriage for that
purpose when our attention was attracted by
the Entrance of a coroneted Coach and 4 into
the Inn-yard. A Gentleman considerably
from it. At his first Appearance my
Sensibility was wonderfully affected and e’er I
had gazed at him a 2d time, an instinctive
sympathy whispered to my Heart, tat he was
my grandfather. Convinced that I couldn’t be
mistaken in my conjecture,
41

---

I instantly sprang from the Carriage I had
just entered and following the venerable
Stranger into the room he had been shown to,
I threw myself on my knees before him and
besought him to acknowledge me as his
Grand Child. He started and having
attentively examined my features, raised me
from the Ground and throwing his
Grandfatherly arms around my Neck,
exclaimed, “Acknowledge thee!” Yes, dear
resemblance of my Laurina and Laurina’s
daughter, sweet image of my Claudia and my
Claudia’s Mother, I do acknowledge thee as
the daughter of the one and the grandfather
of the other. While he was thus tenderly
embracing me, Sophia astonished at my
precipitate Departure, entered the Room in
search of me. No sooner had she caught the
eye of the venerable peer,
42

---

then he exclaimed with every mark of
Astonishment “Another Granddaughter! Yes,
yes, I see you are the daughter of my
Laurina’s eldest girl; your resemblance to the
beauteous Matilda sufficiently proclaims it”
Oh! Replied Sophia, “When I first beheld you
the instinct of Nature whispered to me that
we were in some degree related but whether
Grandfathers, 
I 
couldn’t 
pretend 
to
determine.” He folded her in his arms, and
whilst they were tenderly embracing, the door
of the Apartment opened, and a most
beautiful young man appeared. On perceiving
him lord St. Clair started and retreating a few
paces, with uplifted Hands, said, “Another
Grandchild! What an unexpected Happiness
is! To discover in the space of 3 minutes, as
many of my Descendants!
43

---

This I am certain is Philander the son of my
Laurina’s 3d girl the amiable Bertha; there
wants now but the presence of Gustavus
completes the Union of my Laurina’s
Grandchildren.” 
“And here he is (said a graceful youth who
that instant entered the room) here is the
Gustavus you desire to see. I am the son of
Agatha your Laurina’s 4th and youngest
Daughter,” “I see you are indeed, replied
Lord St. Clair but tell me (continued he is
looking fearfully towards the door) tell me,
have I any other Grandchildren in the
House.” “None my Lord.” “Then I will
provide for you all without further delay Here
are 4 Banknotes of 50L each Take them and
remember I have done the Duty of a
grandfather.”
44

---

He instantly left the Room and immediately
afterward the House. 
Adieu, 
Laura
45

---

LETTER THE TWELFTH
You may imagine how greatly we were
surprised by the sudden departure of Lord St
Clair. 
“Ignoble 
Grand-sire! 
Exclaimed
Sophia.” Unworthy Grandfather! Said I, and
instantly fainted in each other’s arms. How
long we remained in this situation I know
not; but when we recovered, we found
ourselves alone, without either Gustavus,
Philander, or the Banknotes. As we were
deploring our unhappy fate, the Door of the
Apartment opened, and “Macdonald” was
announced. He was Sophia’s cousin. The
haste with which he came to our relief so soon
after the receipt of our Note, spoke so greatly
in his favor that I hesitated not to pronounce
him at first sight, a tender and sympathetic
Friend.