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Here the good Gentleman was interrupted by the entrance of this very Mr. Darnley, who had come to pay his compliments to the family, on the arrival of my friend. His noble afpect and graceful manner, apparently juftified all that had been faid in his favour! and the sweet blushes that spread themselves over the countenance of the fair maiden, on unexpectedly beholding him-told, that the old Gentleman had not been wrong in his conjectures concerning the state of her heart.

But what does Maandaara think of the doctrine of Mr. Denbeigh? Not fuffer a daughter to enter into the engagement of marriage before fhe is twenty! -Twenty!--why twenty is old enough for a grandmother-I fear the reasonings of Mr. Denbeigh would make as few converts in Hindooftan, as in the English feininaries, where young Ladies are genteely educated.

We have just returned from fpending the day with the eldest daughter of Mr. Denbeigh.

The company affembled were numerous and gay, and the entertainment given them by the Merchant, was at once fubftantial and fplendid. I fhould not, however have thought of mentioning it, but for the fake of one of the guests,

whose behaviour will give you fome idea of the manners and converfation of fuch people of ftyle as are fuffered to go abroad after the lofs of their fenfes.-When fuch people vifit, they make ufe of the company as their Chubdars*; and always keep them waiting for their appearance fuch a length of time, as may give them fufficient opportunity for difcuffing their birth, titles, and fituation. This Lady was accordingly announced, before her appearance, to be the wife of a recruiting officer, and fifteenth coufin to an Irish Lord-a circumftance, of which we might have remained in ignorance, had fhe arrived at the fame time with the reft of the company.

When he entered, the height of the chowry that adorned her head; the length of the train of filk which followed her into the room, and which did not difdain to wipe the feet of the gentlemen; the fcanty fize of the veil of modefty, which covered, or rather which did not cover, her bofom; the quickness of her ftep, the undaunted affurance of her mien-all fpoke the consciousness of her own fuperiority. I liftened to her converfation with the moft refpectful at

The fervant whofe business it is to proclaim the titles.

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tention, till fhe mentioned a circumstance, that at once ftruck me with aftonishment and horror. "London," fhe faid, was become quite a defert, not a fingle being remained in town." don!" repeated I. "London! that populous city, which was late the refidence of fo many hundred thousand people; is it poffible, that it can fo fuddenly have been rendered defolate?" "Lard bles

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me," returned the Lady, every body knows that there is not at this time a fingle creature in London: and fo I told the Captain before we went, but he would go, and ftaid whole ten days; you never knew any thing fo horrid! Not one creature was to be feen."

"Horrid, indeed," repeated I. "Alas! poor Doctor Severan, what, in the general calamity, is become of him?" A smile which fat upon the faces of the company, and a look of compaffion with which the benevolent Mr. Denbeigh at that moment feemed to regard my informer, made me fufpect her of infanity, and fhe, indeed, faid enough afterwards fully to confirm my fufpicion.

Poor thing! fhe was fo incapable of concealing her misfortune-that he feemed to pique herfelf on having fainted at the fight of a red gown in the month of July, a convincing proof that

fhe was not then in the poffeffion of her understanding.-The derangement of her faculties, may, perhaps, be accounted for from the many frights and fecks. she has met with in a country town, where her husband is unfortunately quartered.

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"The frights," fhe faid, "came vifit her, and fome of their heads were fo hidecus, that she thought fhe would have died at the fight." No wonder that fuch a circumstance fhould have produced fatal effects upon a feeble mind. Like most people who labour under this fort of delirium, fhe was altogether unconfcious of her unhappy fituation, and really feemed to enjoy a fancied preeminence over the daughters of Mr. Denbeigh, and many other females of found mind, who were affembled upon this occafion. "Alas! poor lady," said I to myself, how pitiable is thy fituation! How much more would it have been to thy advantage, to have poffeffed one grain of the good fenfe of these amiable females, whom thy folly holds in fuch derifion, than to have been coufin to all the Lords in Chriftendom! Had not thy malady brought blindness to thine eyes, thou mighteft, doubtlefs, have beheld in the ftreets of London, thoufands, and ten thousands of thy fuperiors in the fcale of human excellence !"-But

thus it is, that the duft of folly which is fhaken into the eyes by the hand of affectation, produces the falfe perception of objects.

*

May we have our eyes enlightened by the Collyrium of judgment-fo fhall we be able to obferve ourselves in the Mirror of Truth!

I have had the unexpected fatisfaction of beholding the fifter of my first English friend. Yes, Maandaara, Charlotte Percy is now the guest of Mr. Denbeigh, and you may judge how much fuch a circumftance has augmented the pleasure of Zaarmilla.

I did not till lately difcover, that Morley-farm was in the neighbourhood of Violet-dale, and not many hours elapfed after the discovery, till, in company with Denbeigh and his fifter Emma, I went to vifit the late refidence of the benevolent old man, whofe character is ftill fpoken of in the neighbourhood in terms of refpect, gratitude, and affection. The weather was ferene and temperate, fuch as, at Almora, we frequently enjoy in the depth of winter; it was what is

* Collyrium. Crude Antimony, and sometimes Lead ore, ground to an impalpable powder, which the people of India put into their eyes, by means of a polifhed wire. They fancy it clears the fight and encreases the luftre of the eye.

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