It might be thought a natural conclusion of the
history of Menie Gray, that she should have married
Hartley, to whom she stood much indebted
for his heroic interference in her behalf. But her
feelings were too much and too painfully agitated,
her health too much shattered, to permit her to entertain
thoughts of a matrimonial connexion, even
with the acquaintance of her youth, and the champion
of her freedom. Time might have removed
these obstacles, but not two years after their adventures
in Mysore, the gallant and disinterested
Hartley fell a victim to his professional courage, in
withstanding the progress of a contagious distemper,
which he at length caught, and under which
he sunk. He left a considerable part of the moderate
fortune which he had acquired to Menie Gray,
who, of course, did not want many advantageous
offers of a matrimonial character. But she respected
the memory of Hartley too much, to subdue
in behalf of another the reasons which induced her
to refuse the hand which he had so well deserved
---nay, it may be thought, had so fairly won.
She returned to Britain---what seldom occurs---
unmarried though wealthy; and, settling in her
native village, appeared to find her only pleasure
in acts of benevolence which seemed to exceed the
extent of her fortune, had not her very retired
life been taken into consideration.
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