‘How could you be foolish enough to imagine, Montgomery,’ said she, ‘that a woman so plain as your wife could have handsome children? the little ugly thing is yours, and you must do the best you can with it. The world will be very charitable in surmises, no doubt.’
‘Distracted by these taunts, the Earl indignantly swore that he would perish rather than suffer such a hideous little being to call him father.
‘No,’ he exclaimed, ‘I will never be the finger-mark of scorn and ridicule.’
‘Suppose I help you out of this dilemma,’ said his fair adviser, laughing: ‘what I have to propose may perhaps seem hard; but if you are determined not to acknowledge the child, I think my plan will be admirable.’
‘Name it, dearest creature,’ cried Lord Montgomery,’ and I will think you the preserver of my honour.’
‘My poor maid, Lucy, was this morning unluckily, or perhaps luckily, brought to-bed of a son; it is as lovely a child as can be imagined. Now if you would have the generosity to substitute this child in the place of him you mean to abandon, a decent sum would, I doubt not, induce the mother to give him up to you, and save her from want.’
‘It is an excellent thought, and shall be done,’ exclaimed Montgomery; ‘at all events, this shall be put in execution.’
‘Thus did these wicked creatures plan the most detestable of actions—the one through a false shame and fear of the world’s ridicule, the other through motives of avarice and revenge; so easily does bad example and improper counsel urge the weak mind to the commission of the most terrible crimes.
‘It was the error of Montgomery in his earliest youth to give himself over to bad example. At school his associates were chiefly those who delighted most in mischievous sports and idle habits; and this vicious propensity gained ground on his inclinations at maturer years, and laid the foundation for a wretched old age.
‘Lord Montgomery hastened home; he bribed the nurse to be secret, and dispatched a trusty servant to Lucy, who hesitated not to give up her infant, and received the unfortunate wronged babe in its place. As soon as Lady Montgomery was able to travel, his Lordship hurried her to England, that she might never get knowledge of the transaction, leaving his base confederates to make the best of their bargain—for mistrust is ever the attendant of guilt, and those who instigate us to the commission of an improper action, soon become objects of fear and disgust, even to the most abandoned.