affairs while he was revelling in the capital, that, though in poffeffion of a great nominal income, he found fcarcely any addition to his real one, from the intereft due on the various claims of Mr. Grime, who had, in fact, nearly become the mafter of the house, and owner of the estate.

changes in the course of my life. For the laft fifteen years, I have carried on a small business, which, however, with economy, maintained me comfortably, in a little markettown about twenty miles from this place; but, within these few laft years, age having deprived me of It happened, a few months after my former activity, my trade has Mr. Hartley had taken poffeffion, dwindled away, and I have contract. that, as he was returning home one ed debts, till (finding my affairs daily evening from a rural walk which grow worfe and worfe) I have rehe had taken with his beloved Ma- folved to fell every thing, and to ria, they found an aged man, appa- accept the offer of a fon I have in rently poor and in diftrefs, fitting London, to go thither, and let him on a feat near an out-houfe in the endeavour to provide for me. He neighbourhood of their manfion.-is not rich; but he is good and libeMrs. Hartley first perceived him, and (as she had a foul open as day to melting charity,") the firft queftion that occurred to her was not"What does that shabby old fellow do there?"-but, "Is not that poor old man in undeferved want, and may it not be in my power to relieve his wants?"-She inquired of her husband if he knew who he was? but he answered in the negative. He then approached the old man himfelf, and queftioned him, relative to his fituation and his wants.The old man fimply and honeftly told them that he had come a long journey, that he feared he had loft his way, and was much fatigued.

ral, and will never fuffer his father to want, while it is in his power to relieve him."

Mr. Hartley found himself not a little moved by this fimple narrative. He ordered that the old man. fhould be well accommodated for the night, and the best fare the houfe afforded fet before him.

Thefe orders had not long been given, before Mr. Grime, the steward, came into the parlour, to reprefent to his mafter his fears of the confequences of this extravagant act of charity. "It was not clear to him (he faid) that the old man (whatever plaufible tale he might make out) did not belong to a gang of thieves, who have laid fome wicked plan to rob the house, and, perhaps, murder us all.'

"Well, (faid Mr. Hartley) you fhall be lodged to-night, if you pleafe, in this houfe, where you fhall receive the refreshment it can afford Mr. Hartley fmiled at this fugyou; and to-morrow you fhall pur-geftion, and told the fufpicious fue your journey. It feels cold; and fteward, that he was fully convinced a ftorm feems approaching." that his poor old guest was a very Mr. Hartley now put feveral other different perfon, from the whole of queftions to the old man, which he his converfation and behaviour.anfwered with fuch apparent honefty," Befides, (added he, addreffing Mrs. and fo much modefty and good fenfe, Hartley, as foon as Mr. Grime had that his benefactor found himself left the room) I have for fome time interefied in him, and wifhed to hear been haunted with fufpicions that his hiftory, which the old man brief- we have fome in the house already ly gave him, and was as follows: who are not remarkably honeft; and "My name (faid he) is Thorold. I will certainly run the risk of adding I am now between fixty and feventy one more thief to the number, before years of age, and have feen feveral │I will turn the old man out of doors

in the wet and cold at this late | he noticed of that kind; but no fahour."

In the morning, when the ftranger came to return thanks to his hofpitable benefactor, and take his leave, Mr. Hartley thus addreffed

him :

"My friend, you feem fcarcely to know where you are going: from the little converfation I have had with you, I have formed, and I make no doubt with reason, a good opinion of your honefty and underftanding; a perfon fuch as you may be of fervice to me. I fhall not be fo abfurd as to affign you any laborious employment; and I flatter myfelf I fhall be above treating a man of your years with the haughty fuperiority too often manifefted by mafters. If you pleafe, you fhall, at any rate, remain here till we fee how we can agree, or till you meet with fome fituation more agreeable."

tisfactory evidence of actual defraud could eafily be procured.

It chanced, however, that one day, while Mr. Thorold was fitting in a room which was only feparated by a thin partition from another in which Mr. Grime was with his brother, who lived there likewife as butler, he heard high words pafs between them; the latter calling the other fcoundrel and thief, adding, " You know I can prove it, you rafca}. You refufe to advance me a little money; fo, as I have you in ny power, take care!--take care!"

"Advance you money! (returned the other) I am always advancing you money.-Don't you owe every thing you have in the world to me? Did not I get you your place; and do I not find you in twice as much money as your wages amount to, which you fool away in every extravagance? What would you have ? Who would have been fo generous to you as I have been?"

"Generous, indeed!-Don't we know the fource of your generofity?

pa

The aged man accepted this offer with equal pleafure and gratitude. Mr. Hartley employed him in different eafy fervices; but, principally, as he found him particularly-Am not I in poffeffion of the expert in accounts (a complete know. pers that detect all your roguery? ledge of which he had acquired, by Don't I carry your halter in my having at one time of his life amufed pocket, you dog?" himfelt with fudying the mathematics) in examining the accounts of Mr. Grime; in which he detected fo many errors, either cafual or wilful, that Mr. Hartley was much confirmed in all his fufpicions of his dishonesty.

Mr. Thorold (for fo Mr. Hartley had ordered he fhould be ftyled in the family) exerted himself with the utmost industry, and moft grateful zeal, in the fervice of his generous benefactor and mafter. He foon discovered enough to convince him that many of the demands of Mr. Grime on the eftate were of a very fufpicious nature, and that even his prefent ftatements were not of the cleareft kind. He faithfully intimated to Mr. Hartley every thing

"Come, come; (faid the fteward) here's money for you. What do you put yourself in fuch a paffion for "

"I put myself in no paffion (faid the other); only I can't bear to fee you fo curfed niggardly."

Here the dialogue ended; and Mr. Thorold was now convinced there had been fome foul play on the part of Mr. Grime, and that proofs of it exifted, too, could they but be found.

Mr. Thorold, now, both from his natural love of justice, and in gratitude to his benefactor, exerted himfelf, by every means he could devife, to detect the artifice and difhonefty of Mr. Grime. He watched both him and his brother inceffantly: but he could learn no more, nor contrive any expedient by which he

could

could throw any farther light on this dark transaction. He made known to Mr. Hartley, however, what he had overheard, who judged it more prudent to wait for further evidence, and not to proceed on this, which was certainly infufficient, and the disclosure of which could antwer no purpose, but to put the parties effectually on their guard against any further difcovery.

Accident, however, at length, in concurrence with the vigilance of Mr. Thorold, produced the defired detection. The butler, one day, having left his apartment haftily, Mr. Thorold entered it, and perceiving a pocket-book lying on the table, proceeded to examine it, and, to his great fatisfaction, found two letters addreffed to Mr. Grime, in the hand writing of Mr. Hartley's father, which showed fufficiently the nature of fome of the steward's difhoneft artifices, and, what was of moft confequence, afforded proof that one of the mortgages, and that to the most confiderable amount, was an abfolute forgery.

might be no time to concert any plan of defence.

There were but two qualities wanting to Mr. Grime, to render him a finished and successful knave;

he poffeffed neither courage nor prefence of mind: for no fooner did he find that the letters, which held him fo much in awe, were in the poffeffion of Mr. Hartley, than (without confidering how far fuch evidence might be of weight against him, or attempting any kind of defence) he fell on his knees before his mafter, in the most abject manner, and confetled not only the forgery, but a variety of peculations and extortions of which he had been guilty, offering all the property he had unjustly accumulated, to fave his life.

Mr. Hartley, having caufed him to make the fame confeffion in the prefence of feveral refpectable witneffes, told him, that he would attempt nothing against his life, whatever power the law might have given him over it; nor would he require more of him than to restore what he had confeffed he had unjustThefe letters had been found ly acquired; which would ftill leave by the butler, Mr. Grimes's bro. him in poffeffion of property fuffither, who perceiving their import-cient for a decent fubfiftence. ance, had threatened the fteward The deeds for this reftitution with a difcovery of his villany, were fpeedily drawn out and figned; unless he would engage that he and Mr. Hartley faw himself in poffhould receive one half of his ill-fetion of nearly the whole of his gotten gains; which the other was father's eftate, clear of any incumcompelled to confent to; befides brance. which, he was continually drawing on him for ready money to fupport the profligate extravagancies to which he was addicted; and it was in confequence of one of thefe demands, that the altercation took place which Mr. Thorold had overheard.

In poffeffion of thefe documents, Mr. Thorold haftened to Mr. Hartley, who immediately refolved to fend for the steward, before his brother fhould miss the letters and inform the other of his lofs,-that there

For Mr. Thorold, to whofe grateful vigilance he was indebted for this happy change in the state of his affairs, he provided generously; building a houfe for him near his own, and fettling on him a fum sufficient to fupply all his wants; nor did the good old man ever relax in his gratitude and zeal for the service of Mr. Hartley, whofe charity and generofity had rendered his latter days happy, at the fame time that they proved their own reward to his benefactor.

ORIGIN