THE SISTERS; OR THE HISTORY Ꮕ F LUCY and CAROLINE SANSON, Entrufted to a falfe FRIEND. In Two VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: Printed for T. WALLER, Cppofite Fetter-Lane in Fleet-fireet. MDCCLIV. THE HISTORY O F LUCY and CAROLINE SANSON. BOOK IV. CHAP. I. Caroline's great distress and anxiety: her miserable night, and more miferable morning: her removal by Mr. Dookalb. I F Mr. Jaifon's diftrefs was great on the lofs of Caroline, her's was infinitely great er to find herself in a small gloomy room, laid upon a miferable tatter'd dirty bed, by the fide of which stood a female, horrid of aspect, and terrible to behold, with a glimmering candle in one hand, and a bottle in the other; fome of whofe contents fhe offered to Caroline, VOL. II. B as as foon as she unclosed her eyes, enquiring with a rough hoarfe tone of voice, tho' it feemed greatly foftened from its natural harshness, how fhe found herself, and what he would chufe to have? Caroline raised herself up, and looking beyond the bed, faw by a little glimmering fire two men grim and dreadful, whose look struck terror through her foul, and whofe voices made her tremble in every limb. The woman again renewed her requests, to know what the chofe, to which Caroline replied only, by afking where she was, and how fhe came thither, and why fhe was thus confined? The woman informed her, that it was the houfe of one of thofe gentlemen who fate by the fire, her worthy husband, an officer of the county, or in other terms a bailiff, who had, with the other gentleman, been the means of feizing and conveying her hither by a writ granted for that purpose; and that at prefent fhe muft fubmit to continue in confinement, tho' poffibly it might not laft longer than this night only. However, faid fhe, I'll make matters very easy to you; you fhall have a pair of clean fheets to your bed, and whatever you like, and nobody fhall moleft you, unless you prefer company, mine or my husband's, or any of the ladies in the Houfe -Some of them, I can affure you, Madam, are of the firft rate, and very agreeable greeable diverting ladies too." "She had no mind at all to fee Caroline replied, any company in her prefent melancholy circumftances, but defired, after having asked the gentleman, her husband, a queftion or two, to be left alone." The bailiff hearing this arofe, and with a bold and affuming air demanded to be informed what she would know of him. Caroiine trembled at his voice and appearance. "I would only know, Sir, faid fhe, at whofe inftigation you have conveyed me hither, and what I have done to merit this treatment at your hands?” "Nay, madam, replied he, as to that matter, gentlemen of our profeffion don't ftand much upon merit; we neither regard friend nor foe, when our king and the laws demand our compliance. I have a writ against you from my honeft mafter Dookalb, and have been a pretty while upon the watch for you, but you have always been too well guarded for me; however I have kidnapped you at laft, as I'd have you know I feldom fail. I never fail'd above once in my life : my mafter Dookalb knows my excellence well, or he would not employ me fo often. Don't imagine you are the first I have taken for him; and I think I never took one more cleverly in all my life." Caroline could fcarce refrain from tears; deep fighs bcspoke the anguish of her heart. B 2 And pray, fir, continued |