Baynard was exceedingly disconcerted; but I perceived his
uneasiness was tinctured with resentment, and derived a good omen
from this discovery. I ordered the horses to be put to the
carriage, and, though he made some efforts to detain us all
night, I insisted upon leaving the house immediately; but, before
I went away, I took an opportunity of speaking to him again in
private. I said every thing I could recollect, to animate his
endeavours in shaking off those shameful trammels. I made no
scruple to declare, that his wife was unworthy of that tender
complaisance which he had shewn for her foibles: that she was
dead to all the genuine sentiments of conjugal affection;
insensible of her own honour and interest, and seemingly
destitute of common sense and reflection. I conjured him to
remember what he owed to his father's house, to his own
reputation, and to his family, including even this unreasonable
woman herself, who was driving on blindly to her own destruction.
I advised him to form a plan for retrenching superfluous expence,
and try to convince the aunt of the necessity for such a
reformation, that she might gradually prepare her niece for its
execution; and I exhorted him to turn that disagreeable piece of
formality out of the house, if he should find her averse to his
proposal.
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