After this sport had been repeated several times, I began to observe that my aunt always selected one spot for this amusement, exactly in front of a dense thicket which rather projected out from the rest of the shore; a boundary was fixed on each side, beyond which it was declared we were not to go, so that in chasing each other, we had always to pass close in front of this thicket. On one occasion I was a little startled by observing, as I thought, a slight movement in the thicket, as if someone were passing through the bushes, but my aunt laughed at me. She said it was only a rabbit hopping about, and at the same time applied her rod so vigorously to my posteriors that she soon gave me something else to think of. I was, however, induced after this to keep a watch upon the thicket, and occasionally I was convinced I saw a similar movement. Nay, once I was pretty certain that I caught a glimpse of a face, which seemed to me in the slight glance I had of it, to be very like that of a young gentleman who resided in the neighbourhood, whose family was very intimate with my aunt, and who himself was a frequent visitor at our house. But as I had no wish for a repetition of the severe discipline which my first observation had brought upon me, I said no more about it. It also struck me as somewhat singular that when we returned to the house after any of these frolicsome pastimes, we were quite certain either to find the young gentleman there, or have him arrive very soon after us.

But I think I have made this letter long enough, so adieu for the present.

Emily

Letter II. Emily to Lucy

My Dear Lucy,

Not having any news to give you, for everything here is as dull and uninteresting as ever, I shall resume my story.

A young lady, the daughter of a friend of my aunt, had been on a visit to us for some time.