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fpenfe! How every new inftance of it tears in pieces my before almost bursting heart!

Mifs Gr. My brother went on-You have often hinted to me at diftance this fubject. I will not, as I might, answer your question, now fo directly put, by faying, that it is my wifh to see you, Charlotte, happily married, before I engage myself. But, perhaps, I fhall be better enabled fome time hence than I am at present, to return such an answer as you may expect from a brother.

Now, my Harriet, we are afraid, by the words, Not in his power; and by the hint, that he cannot at present answer our question as he may be enabled to do fome time hence, we are afraid, that fome foreign lady

They had raised my hopes; and now, exciting my fears by fo well-grounded an apprehenfion, they were obliged for their pains to hold Lady L.'s falts to my nofe. I could not help expofing myself; my heart having been weakened too by their teazings before. My head dropt on the fhoulder of Miss Grandifon. Tears relieved me.

I defired their pity. They affured me of their love; and called upon me, as I valued their friendfhip, to open my whole heart to them.

I paufed. I hefitated. Words did not immediately offer themselves. But at laft, I said, Could I have thought myself intitled to your excufe, ladies, your Harriet, honoured as fhe was, from the firft, with the appellation of fifter, would have had no referve to her fifters: But a just consciousness of my own unworthiness overcame a temper, that, I will fay, is naturally frank and unreferved. Now, however

There I ftopt, and held down my head.

Lady L. Speak out, my dear-What Now-
Mifs Gr. What Now, however

Har. Thus called upon, thus encouragedAnd I lifted up my head as boldly as I could (but

it

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it was not, I believe, very boldly), I will own, that the man, who by fo fignal an inftance of his bra very and goodnefs engaged my gratitude, has poffeffion of my whole heart.

And then, almoft unknowing what I did, I threw one of my arms, as I fat between them, round Lady L's neck, the other round Mifs Grandifon's; my glowing face feeking to hide itfelf in Lady L.'s

bofom.

They both embraced me, and affured me of their united intereft. They faid, They knew I had alfo Dr Bartlett's high regard: But that they had in vain fought to procure new lights from him; he conftantly, in every-thing that related to their brother, referring himself to him: And they affured me, that I had likewise the best wishes and interest of Lord L. to the fulleft extent.

This, Lucy, is fome confolation-muft I fay? -fome eafe to my pride, as to what the family think of me: But yet, how is that pride mortified, to be thus obliged to rejoice at the ftrengthening of hope to obtain an interest in the heart of a man, of whofe engagements none of us know any thing! But if, at laft, it fhall prove, that that worthieft of hearts is difengaged; and if I can obtain an intereft in it; be pride out of the question! The man, as my aunt wrote, is Sir Charles Grandifon.

I was very earnest to know, fince my eyes had been fuch-tell-tales, if their brother had any fufpicion of my regard for him.

They could not, they faid, either from his words or behaviour, gather that he had. He had not been fo much with me, as they had been. Nor would they wish that he should fufpect me. The best of men, they said, loved to have difficulties to conquer. Their brother, generous as he was, was a man.

Yet, Lucy, I thought at the time of what he faid at Sir Hargrave Pollexfen's, as recited by the fhort-hand writer-That he would not marry the greatest

greateft princefs on earth, if he were not affund

that the loved him above all the men in it.

I fancy, my dear, that we women, when we love, and are doubtful, fuffer a great deal in the apprehenfion, at one time, of difgufting the object of our paffion by too forward a love; and, at another, of disobliging him by too great a reserve. Don't

you think fo?

The ladies faid, they were extremely folicitous to fee their brother married. They wifhed it were to me, rather than to any other woman; and kindly added, that I had their hearts, even at the time when Lady Anne, by a kind of previous engagement, had their voices.

And then they told me what their brother faid of me, with the hint of which they began this alarming converfation.

When my brother had let us know, faid Mifs Grandifon, that it was not in his power to return a preferable esteem for a like efteem, if Lady Anne honoured him with it; I faid—If Lady Anne had as many advantages to boast of as Mifs Byron has, could you then, brother, like Lady Anne?

Mifs Byron, replied he, is a charming woman. Lady L. (flily enough, continued Mifs Grandifon) faid, Mifs Byron is one of the prettieft women I ever beheld. I never faw in any face, youth and dignity, and fweetnefs of afpect, fo happily blended..

On this occafion, Lucy, my vanity may, I hope, revive, fo long as I repeat only, and repeat justly. "Forgvie me, Lady L. replied my brother"But as Alexander would be drawn only by A"pelles, fo would I fay to all thofe who leave "mind out of the defcription of Mifs Byron, that

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they are not to defcribe her. This young lady" (You may look proud, Harriet!) "has united in her face feature, complexion, grace, and expreffion. "which very few women, even of thofe who are VOL. III. B

most

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"moft celebrated for beauty, have fingly in equal

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degree: But, what is infinitely more valuable, "fhe has a heart that is equally pure and open. "She has a fine mind: And it is legible in her "face. Have you not observed, Charlotte, add"ed he, what intelligence her very filence promi," fes? And yet, when the peaks, fhe never difappoints the most raised expectation.” I was speechlefs, Lucy.

Well, brother, continued Mifs Grandifon-If there is not every thing you fay in Mifs Byron's face and mind, there feems to me little less than the warmth of love in the defcription-You are another Apelles, Sir, if his colours were the most glowing of thofe of all painters.

My eyes had the affurance to afk Mifs Grandifon, what anfwer he returned to this? She faw they had.

Áh Harriet! fmiling-That's a meaning look, with all its bafhfulness. This was my brother's anfwer- Every body muft love Mifs Byron"You know, Charlotte, that I prefented her to to her, as a third fifter: And what you, and "man better loves his fifters than your brother!" We both looked down, Harriet; but not quite fo filly and fo disappointed as you now look— Dear Mifs Grandifon!

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Well, then, another time don't let your eyes ask queftions, inftead of your lips.

Third fifter! my Lucy? Indeed I believe I looked filly enough. To fay the truth, I was difappointed.

Har. And this was all that paffed? You hear by my question, ladies, that my lips will keep my eyes in countenance.

Mifs Gr. It was; for he retired as foon as he had faid this.

Har. How, retired madam?-Any difcompo You laugh at my folly; at my prefumption perhaps.

They

They both fmiled. No, I can't say that there feemed to be, either in his words or manner, any diftinguishing emotion, any great difcompo-He was

about to retire before.

Well, ladies, I will only fay, that the best thing I can do is, to borrow a chariot and fix, and drive away to Northamptonshire.

But why fo, Harriet?

Because it is impoffible but I must suffer in your brother's opinion, every time he fees me, and that whether I am filent or fpeaking.

They made me fine compliments: But they would indeed have been fine ones, could they have made them from their brother.

Well, but, Lucy, don't you think, that had Sir Charles Grandifon meant any thing, he would have expreffed himself to his fifters in fuch high terms, before he had faid one very diftinguithing thing to me? Let me judge by myfelf-Men and women, I believe, are fo much alike, that, put cuftom, tyrant-custom! out of the queftion, the meaning of the one may be generally gueffed at by that of the other, in cafes where the heart is con cerned. What civil, what polite things, could I allow myself to fay to and of Mr Orme, and Mr Fowler! How could I praife the honefty and goodnefs of their hearts, and declare, my pity for them! And why? Because I meant nothing more by it all, than a warmer kind of civility; that I was not afraid to let go, as their merits pulled And now, methinks, I can better guefs, than I could till now, at what Mr Greville meant, when he wifhed me to declare that I hated him-Sly wretch!-fince the woman who ufe's a man infolently in courtship, certainly makes that man of more importance to her, than fhe would wifh him to think himfelf.

But why am I ftudious to torment myfelf? What will be muft. "Who knows what Providence has "defigned for Sir Charles Grandifon?"-May be

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