Lucy (Chapter_17)

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increased beauty & Mrs Dey said she now looked decent enough to bring the children sometimes into the parlour; an indulgence she was the none ready to grant, as it would save her the trouble of coming upstairs. - Mrs Dey too, felt [deletion] proud of the improved looks of her children & the very next [deleted]evening[deleted] day having some friends to dinner, when the dessert was placed on table, she sent for [deletion] them.

Never in her life, had Lucy appeared before a company of strangers & if it would have been allowed, she would have committed the children to Hetty's charge; but this would have been interpreted into pride or disobedience, she therefore with a palpitating heart, after neatly dressing herself & children, obeyed the summons.

The blushing face, the down cast eyes & timid air of the youthful nurse, added the charm of sentiment, to her natural beauty & excepting to the ladies, she was an object of much more interest than [deletion] the [lovely?] children. Capt Dey, started when he saw the lovely girl, & wondered how it had come to pass, that he had not before discovered such a treasure.

Lucy, now gave wsy to a burst of grief, too genuine even for Hetty to doubt its truth. She shed tears of mingled terror, shame & sorrow - exclaiming in broken sentences - [deleted]What[deleted] "What what is to become of me? - when shall I ever find rest? - When shall I ever be safe?"

"Not here," I can tell you Miss. I have been suspicioning the Captain, ever since he first took to coming [?] - pretending all at once to be so mighty fond of his children.! I thought as how there was some thing else he was fond of - But who would ever have dreamt of his stealing like a theif into his own house -[More?] the madam little suspects his carrying on and there's that part [deleted]min?[deleted] miss [Racheal?] too, she'd make a fine spluuter about it, & if its just to vex the proud thing, I'll be sure to tell her."

Oh Hetty you will not be so cruel! - you will not ruin me will you?"

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"Oh, [ho?], then you'd like to stay, I see the Captain [???] when the rest have gone out - you want him all to yourself do ye? I thought as much, for all the fine things you talked up to me about repentance & heaven & such like stuff."

"Don't think so hardly of me Hetty. I want to have nothing to do with the Captain, but if I am turned from these doors, I have not where to lay my head - I must perish in the streets." & again poor Lucy wept as if her heart would break.

"Well Miss, I can't help believing you - you be so [fair?] spoken & you look so earnest like. But you may depend on it you wont be able to keep out o'l the Captains way [but?] you do as you will."

"Let me try however - I will keep my door locked whenever I am alone, & whenever you get time you must come & stay by me, & you must help me to watch & not let him come upstairs & if [?] won't do, why then I will go, yes, go into 3395 the poor-House, rather than bring any more [sin?] & [?] on my poor head."

Hetty could no longer doubt her sincerity, especialy when she asked her to watch the Captain; a task she readily understood & in which she was more interested than the innocent Lucy imagined.

Hetty, sat with her till Miss Dey & Miss Blight returned, & when the latter ran up to and [?] by Lucy's [fine?], she made a hundred enquiries & expressed a great [uneasiness?] about her dear Captain as she called him -

"Poor dear cousin," said she, he was taken [deleted]violently[deleted] sick at the ball, & had to come away, but he begged me not to tell his wife, as he did not wish to alarm her." -

"He's been very sick indeed." said Hetty, giving Lucy a sly look - "so sick poor soul. She had [text covered up]

Chap. 19.

[deleted]Can wealth give happiness?[deleted] Look round & see [text off page] - what splendid misery. [young?]