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It will be evident, that Ellen had in a great measure supplied to Maria that portion of her mother's society, which was now necessarily given to her father, and on her absence, the mother and daughter insensibly resumed their former situation with each other. Mr. Falconer was much engaged, for Mr. Mayton now resided wholly abroad, and his management there had been of late extremely unproductive. Mr. Ingalton's health had become so bad as to render him unequal to all exertion, and as his eldest son was gone to the East Indies, he had to the great grief of his wife recalled Frank (his second son, who had been intended for the church) from the university, to assist him in the counting house.

Mr. Falconer was really sorry for this youth, and opposed the change in his destination as long as he was able; he was just nineteen, and devoted to literary pursuit with all the ardour generally experienced at that period of life, combined with high intellect, fine imagination, a soul attuned by piety to every pure and lofty association, and that happy mixture of playful fancy and pensive reflection, which rendered him well calculated for giving charms to a gay hour, and interest to a sad one.