predetermined never to marry unless he could meet with some woman with an independent fortune in her own hands. Indeed, for no other purpose than gaining such an end, would he ever have bestowed a thought on marriage, but always treated the mention of that sacred ceremony with unhallowed ridicule. As yet no fair one, calculated to gratify his avaricious passions had fell in his way; but many a hapless fair one had become the victim of his seductive arts. The beauty of the interesting Jane, and the dispositions of herself and family, who virtuous and benevolent in themselves, suspected no guile in others, appeared to this monster of deceit, as a fair opportunity of accomplishing his base designs, by luring her from a peaceful home.
This depraved youth felt no difficulty in persuading Jane that his father would be averse to his marriage with one that had so small a portion. Alas! this he knew to be a false assertion; for Mr Percival would have very readily consented, so great was his opinion of farmer Arnold's daughters, to have received any one of them into his family; more particularly Jane, who had ever been a great favourite with the old gentleman. Every one beheld a visible partiality between Henry and Jane, and concluded that it would lead to a lasting attachment. But none, no, not even Rosetta, or the brother and sisters of the maiden, ever supposed that their intercourse had proceeded to such lengths. Every night, when the rest of farmer Arnold’s family had retired to
