But, dear Lucy, have you any spite in you? Are you capable of malice-deadly malice ?—If you are, fit down, and wifh the perfon you hate to be in love with a man (I muft, it seems, fpeak out) whom The thinks, and every body knows, to be fuperior to herself, in every quality, in every endowment, both of mind and fortune; and be doubtful (far, far worfe is doubtful than fure!) among fome faint glimmerings of hope, whether his affections are engaged; and if they are not, whether he can return-Ah, Lucy! you know what I mean-Don't let me speak out.

But one word more- -Don't you think the Doctor's compliment at the beginning of this letter a little particular?" Delight of EVERY ONE "who is fo happy as to know you." Charming words! But are they, or are they not officiously inferted? Am I the delight of Sir Charles Grandifon's heart? Does he not know me ?- -Weak, filly, vain, humble, low, yet proud Harriet Byron !

-Be gone, paper-mean confeffion of my conjecturing folly-Ah, Lucy, I tore the paper half through, as you'll fee, in anger at myfelf; but I will ftitch it to the Doctor's letter, to be taken off by you, and to be feen by nobody elfe.

LETTER IX.

Mifs HARRIET BYRON, To Mifs LUCY SELBY.

SE

Saturday, March 18. ELF, my dear Lucy, is a very wicked thing; a fanctifier, if one would give way to its partialities of actions, which in others we should have no doubt to condemn. DELICACY, too, is often a misleader; an idol, at whofe fhrine we fometimes offer up our fincerity; but, in that cafe, it fhould be called Indelicacy.

Nothing

Nothing, furely, can be delicate that is not true, or that gives birth to equivocation: Yet how was I pleafed with Lord and Lady L. and Mifs Grandifon, for endeavouring to país me off to good Dr Bartlett in the light I had no title to appear in !As if my mind, in a certain point, remained to be known; and would fo remain, till the gentleman had discovered his.

And are there fome fituations in which a woman muft conceal her true fentiments? In which it would be thought immodefty to fpeak out?-Why was I born with a heart fo open and fincere? But why, indeed, as Sir Charles has faid in his letter relating to the Danbys, fhould women be blamed for owning modeftly a paffion for a worthy and fuitable object? Is it, that they will not fpeak out, leaft, if their wishes fhould not be crowned with fuccefs by one man, they fhould deprive themselves of the chance to fucceed with another? Do they not propofe to make the man they love happy ?-And is it a crime to acknowledge that they are fo well difpofed to a worthy object? A worthy object, I repeat; for that is what will warrant the open heart. What a littlenefs is there in the cuftom that compels us to be infincere? And fuppofe we do not fucceed with a firft object, shall we cheat a future Jover with the notion that he was the firft?

Hitherto I had acted with fome felf-approbation: 1 told Mr Greville, Mr Fenwick, Mr Orme, Mr Fowler, that I had not feen the man to whom I could with to give my hand at the altar: But when I found my heart engaged, I was defirous Lady D. fhould know that, it was. But yet, mifled by this fame notion of delicacy, I could think myfelf obliged to the two fifters, and my lord, that they endeavoured to throw a blind over the eyes of good Dr Bartlett: When the right meafure, I now think, would have been, not to have endeavoured to obtain lights from him, that we all thought he

G 3

was not commiffioned to give; or, if he had, to have related to him the whole truth, and not to have put on difguifes to him; but to have left him wholly a judge of the fit and of the unfit.

And this is Love, is it? that puts an honeft girl upon approving of fuch tricks Begone, Love! I banith thee, if thou wouldeft corrupt the fimplicity of that heart which was taught to glory in truth.

And yet I had like to have been drawn into a greater fault: For what do you think? Mifs Grandifon had (by fome means or other, fhe would not tell me how), in Dr Bartlett's absence on a vifit to one of the canons of Windfor, got at a letter brought early this morning from her brother to that good man, and which he had left opened on his defk.

Here, Harriet, faid fhe, is the letter fo lately brought, not perhaps quite honeftly come at, from my brother to Dr Bartlett (holding it out to me) You are warmly mentioned in it. Shall I put it where I had it? Or will you fo far partake of my fault as to read it first?

O Mifs Grandifon! faid I: And am I warmly mentioned in it? Pray oblige me with the perufal of it. And held out my more than half guilty hand, and took it: But (immediately recollecting myfelf) did you not hint that you came at it by means not honeft?-Take it again; I will not par take of your fault- -But, cruel Charlotte! how could you tempt me fo? And I laid it on a chair.

Read the first paragraph, Harriet. She took it ap, unfolded it, and pointed to the first paragraph. Tempter, faid I, how can you wish me to imitate our first pattern! And down I fat, and put both my hands before my eyes. Take it away, take it away, while yet I am innocent!-Dear Mifs Grandifon, don't give me caufe for felf-reproach. I will not partake of your acknowledged fault.

She

She read a line or two, and then faid, Shall I read farther, Harriet? The e very next word is your

name.

I will

No, no, no, faid I, putting my fingers to my ears. Yet, had you come honeftly by it, I fhould have longed to read it-By what means

Why, if people will leave their clofet-doors open, let them take the confequence.

If people will do fo-But was it fo? And yet, if it was, would you be willing to have your letters

looked into?

Well then, I will carry it back-Shall I? (holding it out to me) Shall I, Harriet?—I will put it where I had it-Shall I ? And twice or thrice went from me, and came back to me, with a provoking archnefs in her looks.

..

Only tell me, Mifs Grandifon, is there any thing in it that you think your brother would not have us fee?-But I am fure there is, or the obliging Dr Bartlett, who has fhewn us others, would have favoured us with communicating the contents of

this.

I would not but have feen this letter for half I am worth! O Harriet! there are fuch things in it -Bologna! Paris! Grandifon-hall!

Begone, Syren! Letters are facred things. Replace it?-Don't you own that you came not honeftly by it-And yet

Ah! Lucy, I was ready to yield to the curiofity fhe had railed: But, recollecting myfelf, Begone, faid I; carry back the letter: I am afraid of myfelf.

Why, Harriet, here is one paffage, the contents of which you must be acquainted with in a very little while

I will not be tempted, Mifs Grandifon. I will ftay till it is communicated to me, be it what it will.

But

But you may be furprifed, Harriet, at the time, and know not what anfwer to give it You had as good read it-Here, take it-Was there ever fuch a fcrupulous creature?—It is about you and Emily

About me and Emily! O Mifs Grandifon! What can there be about me and Emily?

And where's the difference, Harriet, between asking me about the contents, and reading them? But I tell you

No, you fhall not: I will not hear the contents. I never will ask you. Can nobody at greatly but your brother? Let you and me, Charlotte, be the better for his example. You fhall neither read them, nor tell me of them. I would not be fo ufed myfelf.

Such praises did I never hear of woman !—Oh, Harriet-Such praises

Praifes, Charlotte!-From your brother?-0 this curiofity! the first fault of our firft parent ! But I will not be tempted. If you provoke me to afk queftions, laugh at me, and welcome: But I befeech you, anfwer me not, Dear creature, if you love me, replace the letter, and do not feek to make me mean in my own eyes.

How you reflect upon me, Harriet !—But let me "afk you, Are you willing, as a third fifter, to take Emily into your guardianfhip, and carry her down with you into Northamptonshire?-Anfwer me

that.

Ah Mifs Grandifon! And is there fnch a propofal as that mentioned?-But anfwer me not, I befeech you. Whatever propofal is intended to be made me, let it be made: It will be too foon whenever that is, if it be a disagreeable one.

But let me fay, madam (and tears were in my eyes), that I will not be treated with indignity by the best man on earth. And while I can refufe to yield to a thing that I think unworthy of myself

(you