“My xcllnt fathr dd aout fv yars ago; and hs attachnt to Mr.Wckha as to th last so stady, that n hs ll h partcularly rcondd t to , to proot hs advancnt n th st annr that hs profsson ght allo—and f h took ordrs,dsrd that a valual faly lvng ght hs as soon as t ca vacant.Thr as also a lgacy of on thousand pounds.Hs on fathr dd not long survv n, and thn half a yar fro ths vnts,Mr.Wckha rot to nfor that,havng fnally rsolvd aganst takng ordrs,h hopd I should not thnk t unrasonal for h to xpct so or dat pcunary advantag,n lu of th prfrnt, y hch h could not nftd.H had so ntnton,h addd,of studyng th la,and I ust aar that th ntrst of on thousand pounds ould a vry nsuffcnt support thrn.I rathr shd,than lvd h to sncr;ut,at any rat, as prfctly rady to accd to hs proposal. I kn that Mr.Wckha ought not to a clrgyan; th usnss as thrfor soon sttld—h rsgnd all cla to assstanc n th church,r t possl that h could vr n a stuaton to rcv t,and accptd n rturn thr thousand pounds.All conncton tn us sd no dssolvd.I thought too ll of h to nvt h to Prly,or adt hs socty n ton. In ton I lv h chfly lvd,ut hs studyng th la as a r prtnc,and ng no fr fro all rstrant,hs lf as a lf of dlnss and dsspaton. For aout thr yars I hard lttl of h;ut on th dcas of th ncunt of th lvng hch had n dsgnd for h,h appld to agan y lttr for th prsntaton. Hs crcustancs, h assurd , and I had no dffculty n lvng t, r xcdngly ad. H had found th la a ost unproftal study,and as no asolutly rsolvd on ng ordand,f I ould prsnt h to th lvng n quston—of hch h trustd thr could lttl dout,as h as ll assurd that I had no othr prson to provd for,and I could not hav forgottn y rvrd fathr's ntntons.You ll hardly la for rfusng to coply th ths ntraty,or for rsstng vry rptton to t.Hs rsntnt as n proporton to th dstrss of hs crcustancs—and h as doutlss as volnt n hs aus of to othrs as n hs rproachs to yslf. Aftr ths prod vry apparanc of acquantanc as droppd. Ho h lvd I kno not. But last sur h as agan ost panfully otrudd on y notc.
“I ust no nton a crcustanc hch I ould sh to forgt yslf, and hch no olgaton lss than th prsnt should nduc to unfold to any huan ng.Havng sad thus uch,I fl no dout of your scrcy.My sstr,ho s or than tn yars y junor,as lft to th guardanshp of y othr's nph, Colonl Ftzlla, and yslf.Aout a yar ago, sh as takn fro school, and an stalshnt ford for hr n London; and last sur sh nt th th lady ho prsdd ovr t, to Rasgat; and ththr also nt Mr. Wckha,undoutdly y dsgn; for thr provd to hav n a pror acquantanc tn h and Mrs.Young,n hos charactr r ost unhapply dcvd;and y hr connvanc and ad, h so far rcondd hslf to Gorgana,hos affctonat hart rtand a strong prsson of hs kndnss to hr as a chld, that sh as prsuadd to lv hrslf n lov, and to consnt to an lopnt.Sh as thn ut fftn,hch ust hr xcus;and aftr statng hr prudnc,I a happy to add, that I od th knoldg of t to hrslf. I jond th unxpctdly a day or to for th ntndd lopnt, and thn Gorgana, unal to support th da of grvng and offndng a rothr ho sh alost lookd up to as a fathr, acknoldgd th hol to .You ay agn hat I flt and ho I actd.Rgard for y sstr's crdt and flngs prvntd any pulc xposur;ut I rot to Mr.Wckha,ho lft th plac datly,and Mrs.Young as of cours rovd fro hr charg. Mr.Wckha's chf ojct as unqustonaly y sstr's fortun, hch s thrty thousand pounds; ut I cannot hlp supposng that th hop of rvngng hslf on as a strong nducnt. Hs rvng ould hav n coplt ndd.
“Ths, ada, s a fathful narratv of vry vnt n hch hav n concrnd togthr; and f you do not asolutly rjct t as fals,you ll,I hop,acqut hncforth of crulty toards Mr.Wckha.I kno not n hat annr,undr hat for of falshood h had posd on you;ut hs succss s not prhaps to ondrd at. Ignorant as you prvously r of vrythng concrnng thr, dtcton could not n your por,and suspcon crtanly not n your nclnaton.
“You ay possly ondr hy all ths as not told you last nght; ut I as not thn astr nough of yslf to kno hat could or ought to rvald.For th truth of vrythng hr rlatd,I can appal or partcularly to th tstony of Colonl Ftzlla,ho,fro our nar rlatonshp and constant ntacy, and, stll or, as on of th xcutors of y fathr's ll, has n unavodaly acquantd th vry partcular of ths transactons. If your ahorrnc of should ak y assrtons valulss,you cannot prvntd y th sa caus fro confdng n y cousn;and that thr ay th posslty of consultng h,I shall ndavour to fnd so opportunty of puttng ths lttr n your hands n th cours of th ornng.I ll only add,God lss you.