



Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by the
Web Archive (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)











Transcriber's Notes:

   1. Page scans provided by the Internet Archive,
      https://archive.org/details/delawareorruined02jame
      (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)

   2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe].






DELAWARE;
OR
THE RUINED FAMILY.






EDINBURGH:
PRINTED BY M. AITKEN, 1, ST JAMES'S SQUARE.






DELAWARE;
OR
THE RUINED FAMILY.



A TALE.


IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. II.



EDINBURGH:
PRINTED FOR ROBERT CADELL, EDINBURGH;
AND WHITTAKER & CO., LONDON.
MDCCCXXXIII.





DELAWARE;
OR,
THE RUINED FAMILY.




CHAPTER I.


The sand in the hour-glass of happiness is surely of a finer quality
than that which rolls so slowly through the glass of this world's
ordinary cares and fears. Oh! how rosy-footed trip the minutes that
lead along the dance of joy! How sweetly they come, how swiftly they
fly, how bright their presence, and how speedy their departure! Every
one who has ever had a pen in his hand, has said exactly the same
words before me; and therefore, though a little stale, they must be
true.

The hours flew as lightly at Emberton Park as if they had plucked all
the down from the wings of their good father Time, in order to furnish
their own soft pinions; and many of the days which intervened between
the signature of the bill for twenty-five thousand pounds, given by
Sir Sidney Delaware to Lord Ashborough, and the time when it was to
become due, slipped away unnoticed. The worthy baronet suffered them
to pass with very great tranquillity, relying perfectly upon the word
of Mr. Tims, that the money would be ready at the appointed period. As
comfort, and happiness, too, are far less loquacious qualities than
grief and anxiety. Sir Sidney thought it unnecessary to enter into any
farther particulars with Burrel, than by merely thanking him, in
general terms, for the advice he had given; and by informing him that,
in consequence of his son's second journey to London, his affairs were
likely to be finally arranged in the course of a month or two. The
miser also suffering himself, for a certain time, to be governed by
his nephew--who well knew the only two strings which moved him like a
puppet, to be avarice and fear--did not attempt to give the young
stranger at Emberton any information of the events which had taken
place, till long after Captain Delaware's return; and, within five
days of the time when the bill became due, Burrel, who had delayed his
promised visit to Dr. Wilton till he was almost ashamed to go at all,
rode over to his rectory to pass a couple of days with the worthy
clergyman, whom he found deep in all the unpleasant duties of his
magisterial capacity. William Delaware, also,