tions for the prefent meeting, but it was not in his nature to give pain to a fond heart like Sufan's; he made no effort, therefore, to divert the converfation from those interesting points, to which she wished to lead it. Few girls of Sufan's fort had greater quickness of intuition; and as love is, in fome cafes, a mighty sharpener of the eye-fight, fhe had taken her obfervations pretty accurately as to the effect of Ifabella's bright eyes upon the heart of Henry, and being fully fatisfied fhe had no chance against fuch a rival, fhe good-naturedly refolved to do him all the fervices in her power with that young lady, and though fhe had little comfort to adminifter to him at prefent, yet fhe dif cerned enough to warrant her in talking on the fubject, and reporting fuch particulars as might ferve, at least, to keep the spark of hope alive; when Henry, therefore, afked her if fhe was happy in her service, the answered, that her young lady was an angel for goodness, and if she herself was not as happy as fhe might be, it was only because fhe was not altogether fo wife as fhe ought to be; but time, she observed, would cure her of thofe follies which had taken fuch poffeffion of her:-"A kind word however," added fhe, " now and then bestow'd

upon

upon me, when fuperior objects do not engross your attention, will be a generous way of affuring me, that I am not entirely out of your thoughts; more than this I do not expect, but without this I fhould indeed be wretched."

Henry confoled her with the most foothing affurances, and he accompanied them with certain tender looks and actions, which carry more perfuafion with them, than the strongest profeffions can convey without them. Turning to him with a fmile-"Ah! my dear friend!" fhe cried, "I fufpect there is a certain lady of mine, not far off, who will give you the heart-ache before long, and then you will know what it is that we poor love-fick mortals fuffer; these evening walks of your's, with that captivating fair one, will lead you into a maze that will puzzle you to escape from, unless I give you a clue to guide you out of it. We women of the chamber have many opportunities of diving into the fecrets of our miftreffes, especially of fuch as, like my lady, are all nature and fincerity. I muft tell you then, in one word, that there is a terrible refolution gone out against all mankind at once, never to marry; fhe has made a vow to devote herself to her father; fhe has not the most diftant idea

of falling in love; and has been very curious in her enquiries, how it came to pafs that I fuffered myself to be surprised into fo extraordinary a weakness. I laid it all upon Nature and a tender heart: this fhe did not admit; for the contended, that her heart was as tender, and her nature as compaffionate as another's; that she could pity the unfortunate, admire the brave, and applaud the deferving; but to figh, and pine, and languifh, as the conceived I did, was what she had no conception of. Love to our parents, and good will to the reft of the world, fhe thought was all that any one heart could fairly entertain, and as much as in reason it ought to undertake for. At this I fmiled, and took the freedom to tell her, (for the is the most frank and affable creature living) that, according to the old faying, it was every body's fate to fall in love once in their lives; and if that was true, my deftiny was paft, and her's was to come: as for myself, I own'd I was justly punifhed for prefuming to think of one fo infinitely my fuperior in all refpects; but nobody could prevent their fate; and I doubted if many were to be found, who could be indifferent to an object fo deferving."

"There you fpoke too humbly of yourself,"

faid Henry," and too partially of your friend." -"My young lady did not feem to think fo," replied Sufan; "and, if I have any guess at her heart, you have more interest there than The is aware of."-Here they found themselves at the extremity of the grove, and within fight of the house." Adieu!" cried Sufan, "I must not be seen with you:-Perfift couragiously, and you will conquer: my life upon it, Mifs Manstock has a heart difpos'd to you and love."" Has fhe fo?" cried Henry, and fuddenly stopt fhort, whilft Sufan quickened her pace, and left him to his reflections."Has fhe a heart for me and love," he repeated; " and fhall that flattery tempt me to perfift? 'Tis fatal flattery, and I will not purfue it. Grant it were truth; grant that I cou'd fucceed to gain an intereft in her heart, to shake her refolutions, and detach her from the duteous purposes to which fhe has devoted herfelf; can I reconcile fuch conduct to the principles of honour, and the gratitude I owe to her father, the uncle. of my mother? What prefumption wou'd it be in me to conceive, that I can be acceptable to Sir Roger Manstock, as a pretender to his daughter! 'Tis impoffible! Circumftanc'd as I am, it is against all reason

to fuppofe he cou'd admit of my addreffes. What then am I doing? Gratifying a propenfity that will be my ruin; listening to advice, that, whilft it flatters my vanity, confpires to blind my reason, and betray my honour. I will not perfift; no, Sufan, though I were fure to conquer, as you call it, I will not follow your feducing council; I will stop whilft it is yet in my power; I will tear myself away from the fnares, which every moment of delay will draw clofer about me, and efcape, whilft I have ftrength and refolution for the effort. If ever that day comes, when Sir Roger Manstock fhall know me as the coufin of Isabella, and if this tumult at my heart fhall be quieted by. time and abfence, he may then once more receive me, as one attach'd to him by gratitude and confanguinity, and permit me to pay to him the devotion of a son, and to his belov'd Ifabella the attentions of a brother: this will be fomething ftill; it will be tender friendship, i it will be love, that ftrikes no fting into the confcience; it may affuage her forrows when fhe will want a comforter, and enable her to fay, when her father's eyes fhall close-' I have fulfill'd my promife, I have perfifted in my refolution, and devoted my whole heart to the

pious