had liberty to visit Mrs. Mortimer, and her only. Charles published our marriage bans at a church in the city, and made a friend of one of his sisters, who contrived to accompany me thither, where we were married, in strict privacy—and indeed disguise, in part. Immediately afterwards we set out for Portsmouth, and embarked as soon as possible on board the ship where Charles alone was expected, and my appearance seemed to excite strange whisperings and surmises; but my husband lost no time in making a confidant of the captain, who introduced me to his own family, and insured my welcome to others. Still, there was an inquiry after me, the 'who was she?' that never can, that never must be answered; and it was pursued with only the more avidity, because my accomplishments proved that I had been expensively educated, and nature had stamped me with her own kindly distinctions. So grievously did these inquiries affect me, that on our arrival at Calcutta we lived in the very strictest privacy, which only increased the evil, and made us the subject of scandalous guesses, but had the good effect of keeping our expenses within due limits, and of rendering the talents of my husband effective for his advancement in his profession.
"I had a fine boy when I was in my nineteenth year, but he scarcely lived a twelvemonth, and his
