Heaven has placed happiness,
competence, and content within your power, and you are willing to cast
them away, to gratify ambition and avarice. Were I to give any advice on
this subject either to Dr. Gray or his daughter, it would be to break of
all connexion with a man, who, however clever by nature, may soon show
himself a fool, and however honestly brought up, may also, upon
temptation, prove himself a villain.--You may lay aside the sneer, which
is designed to be a sarcastic smile. I will not attempt to do this,
because I am convinced that my advice would be of no use, unless it
could come unattended with suspicion of my motives. I will hasten my
departure from this house, that we may not meet again; and I will leave
it to God Almighty to protect honesty and innocence against the dangers
which must attend vanity and folly." So saying, he turned contemptuously
from the youthful votary of ambition, and left the garden.
"Stop," said Middlemas, struck with the picture which had been held up
to his conscience--"Stop, Adam Hartley, and I will confess to you"----
But his words were uttered in a faint and hesitating manner, and either
never reached Hartley's ear, or failed in changing his purpose of
departure.
When he was out of the garden, Middlemas began to recall his usual
boldness of disposition--"Had he staid a moment longer," he said, "I
would have turned Papist, and made him my ghostly confessor.
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