Her Ladyship took Lady L. afide; and faid fomething to her. Lady L. anfwered with a no, as I fuppofe: To which Lady D. replied, I am glad of that; adding, I am not afraid of faying any thing to a perfon of Lady L.'s known prudence. Ah! my Lucy! She asked Lady L. I dare fay, whether the acknowledged fifterhood extended to the brother, as a brother, or as-fomething else—And by her chearful and condefcending court to me afterwards, and to Mrs Reeves, was fatisfied by Lady L.'s anfwer, I make no doubt, that there is room for Lord D.'s address, for any thing on Sir Charles's part. I will not be mean, Lucy! Greatly as I admire fomebody, thefe excellent fifters fhall not find me entangled in an hopeless paffion. Her Ladyfhip took my hand, and led me to the window. I was brought to town, said she, on an extraordinary occafion, two days ago; and must fet out on my return in the morning. I thought I would not mifs the opportunity of paying my compliments to a young lady, of whom I had heard every body speak with great commendation. I make no doubt but your good aunt has-There fhe ftopt. My aunt has fent me up two of your ladyfhip's letters, and copies of her anfwers. I am pleafed with your franknefs, my dear. It was that part of your character that engaged me. Young women, in thefe cafes, are generally either fo affected, fo ftarched (as if they thought there were fomething fhameful in a treaty of this kind), or they are fo aukward, that I have not patience with them. You have all the modefty-Indeed, my dear, your goodness of heart fhines out in every feature of your face. Your ladyship does me high honour. I am pleafed even with that acknowledgment. The difcretion of a perfon is often moft feen in minuteneffes. Another would have made difqualifying fpeeches-But compliments made to the heart by one who is not accustomed to flatter; fuch compliments, I mean, as it would be culpable for a perfon not to be able to verify, fhould not be difclaimed. To fay truth, my dear, I did not intend to mention one word of the matter to you, on this firft vifit. I only wanted to fee you, and to converse with you a little, that I might make report accordingly to my fon; who, however, knows not that I fhould pay my compliments to you: But the moment I faw you, your afpect confirmed all that I had heard faid in your favour; and feeing you also so much careffed by two ladies of character fo established; and no lefs pleased with what I obferved of Mr and Mrs Reeves [You are a family of good people], I was refolved to be as frank as you are, and as your aunt Selby has been-She is a good woman Indeed, madam, fhe is Accordingly, I have fingled you out, in the face of every body prefent-You will have the difcretion to caution them on this fubject, till you have feen my fon (I am fure there can be no doubt on his fide)-and till you know whether you fhall approve of our proposals or not: And, without hefitation, I befpeak your good opinion of me till then. I am fure, my dear, we fhall be very hap py in each other. If you and my Lord are happy, you and I must be fo-But, when the knot is tied, I will be only your vifitor, and that at your own invitation. I am thought to be a managing woman: Managing women are not always the beft to live with. You, I underftand, are an excellent economist [A glorious character in this age for a young woman! -Perfons of the highest quality ought not to think themselves above it]. One perfon's methods may differ from another's; yet both may be equally good, and reach the fame end. My fon has found the benefit of my economy: nevertheless, his wife fhall not have caufe to think, that, where the means well, I will prefer my method to hers. If ever I give advice, it fhall only be when you afk it: And then, if you do not take it, I will not be angry; but allow, that, having weighed the matter well, you prefer your own judgment on the best convictions. People who are to act for themfelves fhould be always left to judge for themselves; becaufe they only are answerable for their own actions. You blufh, my dear! I hope, I don't opprefs you. I would not opprefs a modefty fo happily blended with frankness. I was affected with her goodness. What an amiable franknefs! O that all hufbands' mothers were like your ladyfhip! faid I-What numbers of happy daughters-in-law would there then be, that now are not fo! Charming creature! faid fhe. Proceed. I am glad I don't opprefs you with my prate. Oppress me, madam! You delight me! Talk of a bad world!-I ought, I am fure, to think it a good one!-In every matronly lady I have met with a mother: In many young ladies, as those before us, fifters: In their brother, a protector : If your ladyship has not heard on what occafion, I fhall be ready to acquaint you with it. Sweet child! Charming franknefs! I have feen, I have heard enough of you for my prefent purpofe-We will return to company-Such company as I find you in is not to be had at all times. I will restore you to them. But madam, declining her leading hand- Have you not, madam !-But your Ladyfhip could not have received any letter from my aunt Selby-I wrote— I have not, my dear. I could not, as you fay. But I fhall find a letter from her, perhaps, on my return. You approve, I hope, of the proposal, if you fhall have no objection to my fon? My aunt, madam, will let you know— I will not have it otherwise than I wifh it to be -Remember that I value you for the frankness you are praised for-A little female trifling to my fon, you will, in order to be affured of his value for you (and men love not all halcyon courtships), but none to me, my love. I'll affift you, and keep your counfel, in the firft cafe, if it be neceffary. He fhall love you above all the women on earth, and convince you that he does, or he fhall not call you his-But no female trifling to his mother, child! We women should always understand one another. Because I would not be thought to be an infincere creature, a trifler, I think I ought to mention to your ladyship, that it would be a great, a very great part of my happiness, to be deemed worthy of your friendship-without Without what? You do well perhaps to blush! Without what? Without the relation-if you please. I was confounded with her goodness, Lucy. Here, my dear, is another fuperior character-I fancy her maiden-name was Grandifon. But I don't pleafe. So no more of this. Let us join company. And, taking my hand with the goodness of a real mother, yet her brow a little overclouded, the made apologies to them for taking me afide; and faid, fhe could truft to their prudence, fhe was fure, they muft needs guefs at her view; and therefore fhe offered not to put a limit to their conjectures, fince denial or evasion would but, in this cafe, as it generally did, defeat its own end, and strengthen what it aimed to weaken. Is there no obtaining fuch a mother, thought I, without marrying Lord D. ?-And should I refuse to fee him, if an interview is defired, especially when Lady L. has feemed to encourage the Countess to think, that Somebody has no thought-Indeed I don't defire that that Somebody should—If -I don't know what I was going to add to that if: But pray tell my grandmamma, that I hope her Harriet will never give her cause to lament her being entangled in a hopeless paffion. No, indeed! But, my Lucy, one filly queftion to you who have been a little entangled, and more happily dif entangled: I catch myself of late in saying him and he and writing to you Somebody, and fuch like words, instead of faying and writing boldly, as I used to do, Sir Charles, and Sir Charles Grandifon; which would found more respectfully, and yet am fure I want not respect. What is the meaning of this?— Is it a fign-Ah! my Lucy! you faid you would keep a fharp-look-out; and did I not fay I would upon myself: Surely I faid truth: Surely you will think fo, when you fee fuch little filly things as thefe do not escape me. But when you think me too trifling, my dear, don't expofe me. Don't read it out in the venerable circle. That to fome may appear very weak and filly, which by others will be thought excufeable, becaufe natural. It would be wrong (as I yet never did it) to write separately to you. And what have I in my heart, were it to be laid open to all the world, that I fhould be afraid-I was going to write, that I fhould be ashamed of? But I think I am a little afhamed, at times, for all that-Ah, Lucy! don't add, "And fo I ought." Lady D. repeated her defire of being acquainted with Sir Charles. She has no daughter: So it was purely for the fake of his great character. She beard, fhe faid, that he was the politeft of brothers. That was always a good fign with her. He |