SUSAN GRAY. 133

and said that she had been very ill used; and
others spoke up for Mrs. Bennet. Many of my
neighbours came to me to know the truth of
this strange story; and, indeed, some persons
called upon me, on that account, whom I had
never seen before.

Among these, were my Lady West and her
nieces. They were very anxious to know, if all
they had heard was true; for, by some means, it
had come to their knowledge, that Mrs. Bennet
had used their names to deceive the poor girl.

When I told these ladies the true history of
Susan, and how nobly she had resisted tempta-
tion, they all shed tears; and my Lady West
said, that she had been strangely deceived in
Mrs, Bennet, and had been a very kind friend
to her, because she thought her to be a very
good woman: ‘But henceforward,” added she,
‘«T will do no more for her.”

Then these ladies would go to nurse Browne's,
to see the remains of poor Susan; and, as they
walked through my garden, the young ladies
gathered roses, and other sweet flowers, to lay
upon her,

When they came into the room where the
corpse lay, they all shed tears afresh. They
looked for a long time on her sweet, composed
face; for she had died so easily, and in so hea-
venly a state of mind, that there was nothing -
ghastly or frightful in her appearance; she ra-
ther looked as if she was still sleeping.

“Sweet young creature,” said my Lady West,
as she looked at her, “ would to heaven that I
had known her sad situation with that wicked

M