Tuesday Morning.

Ar a private concert last night with my cousins and Miss Clements; and again to be at a play this night; I shall be a racketer, I doubt.

Mr Fowler called here this morning. Mrs Reeves and I were out on a visit. But Mr Reeves was at home, and they had a good deal of discourse about me. The worthy man spoke so despairingly of his success with me, that I hope, for his own sake, I shall hear no more of his addresses; and with the more reason, as Sir Rowland will in a few days set out for Caer

marthen.

Sir Rowland called afterwards; but Mr Reeves was abroad; and Mrs Reeves and I were gone to Ludgate-hill, to buy a gown, which is to be

Wednesday Night.

SIR HARGRAVE came before six o'clock. He was richly dressed. He asked for my cousin Reeves. I was in my closet, writing. He was not likely to be the better received for the character Sir John Allestree gave of him.

He excused himself for coming so early, on the score of his impatience, and that he might have a little discourse with them, if I should be engaged before tea-time.

Was I within ?-I was.-Thank heaven!-I was very good.

So he seemed to imagine that I was at home, in compliment to him.

Shall I give you, from my cousins, an account of the conversation before I went down? You know Mrs Reeves is a nice observer.

He had had, he told my cousins, a most uneasy time of it, ever since he saw me. The devil fetch him, if he had had one hour's rest. He never saw a woman before whom he could love as he loved me. By his soul he had no view, but what was strictly honourable.

He sometimes sat down, sometimes walked about the room, strutting, and now and then adjusting something in his dress that nobody else saw wanted it. He gloried in the happy prospects before him; not but he knew I had a little army of admirers; but as none of them had met with encouragement from me, he hoped there was room for him to flatter himself that he might be the happy man.

I told you, Mr Reeves, said he, that I will give you carte blanche as to settlements. What I do for so prudent a woman, will be doing for myself. I am not used, Mr Reeves, to boast of my fortune; [then, it seems, he went up to the glass, as if his person could not fail of being

an additional recommendation; but I will lay before you, or before any of Miss Byron's friends, (Mr Deane, if she pleases-) my rentrolls. There never was a better conditioned estate. She shall live in town, or in the country, as she thinks fit; and in the latter, at which of my seats she pleases. I know I shall have no will but hers. I doubt not your friendship, Mr Reeves; I hope for yours, madam. I shall have great pleasure in the alliance I have in view, with every individual of your family-As if he would satisfy them of his friendship, in the near relation, as the only matter that could bear a doubt.

Then he ran on upon the part I bore in the conversation at Lady Betty Williams's-By his soul, only the wisest, the wittiest, the most gracefully modest of women-that was all Then, ha, ha, ha, hah, poor Walden! what a silly fellow! He had caught a Tartar! Ha, ha, ha, ha, hah-shaking his head and his gay sides; devil take him if he ever saw a priy so fairly taken in!--but I was a sly little rogue!-He saw that-By all that's good, I must myself sing small in her company!-I will never meet at hard edge with her-If I did—(and yet I have been thought to carry a good one,)-I should be confoundedly gapped, I can see that, Calluding to two knives, I suppose, gapping each other; and winking with one eye; and, as Mrs Reeves described him, looking as wise as if he would make a compliment to his penetration, at the expense of his understanding. But, continued he, as a woman is more a husband's than a man is a wife's [Have all the men this prerogative notion, Lucy? You know it is a better man's] I shall have a pride worth boasting of, if I can call such a jewel mine. Poor Walden!-Rot the fellow!-I warrant he would not have so knowing a wife for the world.-Ha, ha, ha, hah! He is right; it is certainly right for such narrow pedants to be afraid of learned women!-Methinks I see the fellow, conjurorlike, circumscribed in a narrow circle, putting into Greek what was better expressed in English; and forbidding every one's approach within the distance of his wand! Hah, hah, hah!Let me die, if ever I saw a tragi-comical fellow better handled!-Then the faces he made-Saw you ever, Mr Reeves, saw you ever in your life, such a parcel of disastrous faces made by one man?

Thus did Sir Hargrave, laughingly, run on ; nor left he hardly anything for my cousins to say, or to do, but to laugh with him, and to smile at him.

On a message that tea was near ready, I went down. On my entering the room, he addressed me with an air of kindness and freedom. Charming Miss Byron! said he, I hope you are all benignity and compassion. You know not what I have suffered since I had the honour to see you last; bowing very low; then rearing him

self up, holding back his head; and seemed the taller for having bowed.

Handsome fop! thought I to myself. I took my seat; and endeavoured to look easy and free, as usual; finding something to say to my cousins, and to him. He begged that tea might be postponed for half an hour; and that, before the servants were admitted, I would hear him relate the substance of the conversation that had passed between him and Mr and Mrs Reeves.

Had not Sir Hargrave intended me an honour, and had he not a very high opinion of the efficacy of eight thousand pounds a-year in an address of this kind, I dare say he would have supposed a little more prefacing necessary; but, after he had told me, in a few words, how much he was attracted by my character before he saw me, he thought fit directly to refer himself to the declaration he had made at Lady Betty Williams's, both to Mr Reeves and myself; and then talked of large settlements; boasted of his violent passion; and besought my favour with the utmost earnestness.

I would have played a little female trifling upon him, and affected to take his professions only for polite raillery, which men call making love to young women, who perhaps are frequently but too willing to take in earnest what the wretches mean but in jest; but the fervour with which he renewed, (as he called it,) his declaration, admitted not of fooling; and yet his volubility might have made questionable the sincerity of his declarations. As, therefore, I could not think of encouraging his addresses, I thought it best to answer him with openness and unreserve.

To seem to question the sincerity of such professions as you make, Sir Hargrave, might appear to you as if I wanted to be assured; but be pleased to know, that you are directing your discourse to one of the plainest-hearted women in England; and you may therefore expect from me nothing but the simplest truth. I thank you, sir, for your good opinion of me; but I cannot encourage your addresses.

You cannot, madam, encourage my addresses! And express yourself so seriously? Good heaven! [He stood silent a minute or two, looking upon me, and upon himself, as if he had said, foolish girl! knows she whom she refuses? I have been assured, madam, recovering a little from his surprise, that your affections are not engaged. But surely it must be a mistake; some happy man

Is it, interrupted I, a necessary consequence, that the woman who cannot receive the addresses of Sir Hargrave Pollexfen, must be engaged?

Why, madam-as to that-I know not what to say-but a man of my fortune, and, I hope, not absolutely disagreeable either in person or temper; of some rank in life--He paused; then

resuming-What, madam, if you are as much in earnest as you seem, can be your objection? Be so good as to name it, that I may know whether I cannot be so happy as to get over it. We do not, we cannot, all like the same person. Women, I have heard say, are very capricious. Perhaps I am so. But there is a something (we cannot always say what,) that attracts or disgusts us.

Disgusts! madam-Disgusts! Miss Byron. I spoke in general, sir; I dare say, nineteen women out of twenty would think themselves favoured in the addresses of Sir Hargrave Pollexfen.

But you, madam, are the twentieth that I must love; and be so good as to let me know——

Pray, sir, ask me not a reason for a peculiarity. Do you not yourself shew a peculiarity in making me the twentieth?

Your merit, madam

It would be vanity in me, interrupted I, to allow a force to that plea. You, sir, may have more merit than perhaps the man I may happen to approve of better; but-shall I say? (pardon me, sir,) you do not-you do not, hesitated Ihit my fancy-Pardon me, sir.

If pardon depends upon my breath, let me die if I do!-Not hit your fancy, madam! [And then he looked upon himself all around] —Not hit your fancy, madam!

I told you, sir, that you must not expect anything from me but the simplest truth. You do me an honour in your good opinion; and if my own heart were not, in this case, a very determined one, I would answer you with more politeness. But, sir, on such an occasion as this, I think it would not be honourable, it would not be just, to keep a man in an hour's suspense, when I am in none myself.

And are you then (angrily,) so determined, Miss Byron ?

I am, sir.

Confound me!-And yet I am enough confounded!-But I will not take an answer so contrary to my hopes. Tell me, madam, by the sincerity which you boast; are you not engaged in your affections? Is there not some one happy man, whom you prefer to all men?

I am a free person, Sir Hargrave. It is no impeachment of sincerity, if a free person answers not every question that may be put to her, by those to whom she is not accountable.

Very true, madam. But as it is no impeachment of your freedom to answer this question either negatively, or affirmatively, and as you glory in your frankness, let me beseech you to answer it; are you, madam, or are you not, disengaged in your affections?

Excuse me, Sir Hargrave; I don't think you are entitled to an answer to this question. Nor, perhaps, would you be determined by the answer I should make to it, whether negative or affirmative.

Give me leave to say, madam, that I have some little knowledge of Mr Fenwick and Mr Greville, and of their addresses. They have both owned, that no hopes have you given them; yet declare that they will hope. Have you, madam, been as explicit to them, as you are to me?

I have, sir.

Then they are not the men I have to fearMr Orme, madam

Is a good man, sir.

Ah! madam!-But why then will you not say that you are engaged?

If I own I am; perhaps it will not avail me, it will still much less, if I say, I am not.

Avail you! dear Miss Byron! I have pride, madam. If I had not, I should not aspire to your favour; but give me leave to say, and he reddened with anger,] that my fortune, my descent, and my ardent affection for you, considered, it may not disavail you. Your relations will at least think so, if I may have the honour of your consent for applying to them.

May your fortune, Sir Hargrave, be a blessing to you! It will, in proportion as you do good with it. But were it twice as much, that alone would have no charms for me. My duties would be increased with my power. My fortune is an humble one; but were it less, it would satisfy my ambition while I am single; and if I marry, I shall not desire to live beyond the estate of the man I choose.

Upon my soul, madam, you must be mine. Every word you speak adds a rivet to my chains. Then, sir, let us say no more upon this sub

ject.

He then laid a title to my gratitude from the passion he avowed for me.

That is a very poor plea, sir, said I, as you yourself would think, I believe, were one of our sex, whom you could not like, to claim a return of love from you upon it.

You are too refined, surely, madam. Refined! what meant the man by the word in this place?

I believe, sir, we differ very widely in many of our sentiments.

We will not differ in one, madam, when I know yours; such is the opinion I have of your prudence, that I will adopt them, and make them my own.

This may be said, sir; but there is hardly a man in the world that, saying it, would keep his word; nor a woman, who ought to expect he should.

an additional recommendation; but I will lay before you, or before any of Miss Byron's friends, (Mr Deane, if she pleases-) my rentrolls. There never was a better conditioned estate. She shall live in town, or in the country, as she thinks fit; and in the latter, at which of my seats she pleases. I know I shall have no will but hers. I doubt not your friendship, Mr Reeves; I hope for yours, madam. I shall have great pleasure in the alliance I have in view, with every individual of your family-As if he would satisfy them of his friendship, in the near relation, as the only matter that could bear a doubt.

Then he ran on upon the part I bore in the conversation at Lady Betty Williams's-By his soul, only the wisest, the wittiest, the most gracefully modest of women-that was allThen, ha, ha, ha, hah, poor Walden! what a silly fellow! He had caught a Tartar! Ha, ha, ha, ha, hah-shaking his head and his gay sides; devil take him if he ever saw a prig so fairly taken in!--but I was a sly little rogue!-He saw that-By all that's good, I must myself sing small in her company!-I will never meet at hard edge with her-If I did―(and yet I have been thought to carry a good one,)-I should be confoundedly gapped, I can see that, Calluding to two knives, I suppose, gapping each other; and winking with one eye; and, as Mrs Reeves described him, looking as wise as if he would make a compliment to his penetration, at the expense of his understanding.] But, continued he, as a woman is more a husband's than a man is a wife's [Have all the men this prerogative notion, Lucy? You know it is a better man's] I shall have a pride worth boast ing of, if I can call such a jewel mine. Poor Walden!-Rot the fellow!-I warrant he would not have so knowing a wife for the world.-Ha, ha, ha, hah! He is right; it is certainly right for such narrow pedants to be afraid of learned women!-Methinks I see the fellow, conjuror like, circumscribed in a narrow circle, putting into Greek what was better expressed in English; and forbidding every one's approach within the distance of his want! Hah, hah, hah!— Let me die, if ever I saw a tragi-comical fellow better handled!-Then the faces he made-Saw you ever, Mr Reeves, saw you ever in your life, such a parcel of disastrous faces made by one man?

Thus did Sir Hargrave, laughingly, run on; nor left he hardly anything for my cousins to say, or to do, but to laugh with him, and to smile at him.

On a message that tea was near ready, I went down. On my entering the room, he addressed me with an air of kindness and freedom. Charming Miss Byron! said he, I hope you are all benignity and compassion. You know not what I have suffered since I had the honour to see you last; bowing very low; then rearing him

self up, holding back his head; and seemed the taller for having bowed.

Handsome fop! thought I to myself. I took my seat; and endeavoured to look easy and free, as usual; finding something to say to my cousins, and to him. He begged that tea might be postponed for half an hour; and that, before the servants were admitted, I would hear him relate the substance of the conversation that had passed between him and Mr and Mrs

Reeves.

Had not Sir Hargrave intended me an honour, and had he not a very high opinion of the efficacy of eight thousand pounds a-year in an address of this kind, I dare say he would have supposed a little more prefacing necessary; but, after he had told me, in a few words, how much he was attracted by my character before he saw me, he thought fit directly to refer himself to the declaration he had made at Lady Betty Williams's, both to Mr Reeves and myself; and then talked of large settlements; boasted of his violent passion; and besought my favour with the utmost earnestness.

I would have played a little female trifling upon him, and affected to take his professions only for polite raillery, which men call making love to young women, who perhaps are frequently but too willing to take in earnest what the wretches mean but in jest; but the fervour with which he renewed, (as he called it,) his declaration, admitted not of fooling; and yet his volubility might have made questionable the sincerity of his declarations. As, therefore, I could not think of encouraging his addresses, I thought it best to answer him with openness and unreserve.

To seem to question the sincerity of such professions as you make, Sir Hargrave, might appear to you as if I wanted to be assured; but be pleased to know, that you are directing your discourse to one of the plainest-hearted women in England; and you may therefore expect from me nothing but the simplest truth. I thank you, sir, for your good opinion of me; but I cannot encourage your addresses.

You cannot, madam, encourage my addresses! And express yourself so seriously? Good heaven! [He stood silent a minute or two, looking upon me, and upon himself, as if he had said, foolish girl! knows she whom she refuses? I have been assured, madam, recovering a little from his surprise, that your affections are not engaged. But surely it must be a mistake; some happy man

Is it, interrupted I, a necessary consequence, that the woman who cannot receive the addresses of Sir Hargrave Pollexfen, must be engaged?

Why, madam-as to that-I know not what to say-but a man of my fortune, and, I hope, not absolutely disagreeable either in person or temper; of some rank in life-He paused; then

But you, madam, are the twentieth that I must love; and be so good as to let me know

Pray, sir, ask me not a reason for a peculiarity. Do you not yourself shew a peculiarity in making me the twentieth?

Your merit, madam

It would be vanity in me, interrupted I, to allow a'force to that plea. You, sir, may have more merit than perhaps the man I may happen to approve of better; but-shall I say? (pardon me, sir,) you do not-you do not, hesitated Ihit my fancy-Pardon me, sir.

If pardon depends upon my breath, let me die if I do!-Not hit your fancy, madam! [And then he looked upon himself all around] —Not hit your fancy, madam !

I told you, sir, that you must not expect anything from me but the simplest truth. You do me an honour in your good opinion; and if my own heart were not, in this case, a very determined one, I would answer you with more politeness. But, sir, on such an occasion as this, I think it would not be honourable, it would not be just, to keep a man in an hour's suspense, when I am in none myself.

And are you then (angrily,) so determined, Miss Byron?

I am, sir.

Confound me!-And yet I am enough confounded!-But I will not take an answer so contrary to my hopes. Tell me, madam, by the sincerity which you boast; are you not engaged in your affections? Is there not some one happy man, whom you prefer to all men ?

I am a free person, Sir Hargrave. It is no impeachment of sincerity, if a free person answers not every question that may be put to her, by those to whom she is not accountable.

Very true, madam. But as it is no impeachment of your freedom to answer this question either negatively, or affirmatively, and as you glory in your frankness, let me beseech you to answer it; are you, madam, or are you not, disengaged in your affections?

Excuse me, Sir Hargrave; I don't think you are entitled to an answer to this question. Nor, perhaps, would you be determined by the answer I should make to it, whether negative or affirmative.

Give me leave to say, madam, that I have some little knowledge of Mr Fenwick and Mr Greville, and of their addresses. They have both owned, that no hopes have you given them; yet declare that they will hope. Have you, madam, been as explicit to them, as you are to me?

I have, sir.

Then they are not the men I have to fearMr Orme, madam

Is a good man, sir.

Ah! madam!-But why then will you not say that you are engaged?

If I own I am; perhaps it will not avail me, it will still much less, if I say, I am not.

Avail you! dear Miss Byron! I have pride, madam. If I had not, I should not aspire to your favour; but give me leave to say, and he reddened with anger, that my fortune, my descent, and my ardent affection for you, considered, it may not disavail you. Your relations will at least think so, if I may have the honour of your consent for applying to them.

May your fortune, Sir Hargrave, be a blessing to you! It will, in proportion as you do good with it. But were it twice as much, that alone would have no charms for me. My duties would be increased with my power. My fortune is an humble one; but were it less, it would satisfy my ambition while I am single; and if I marry, I shall not desire to live beyond the estate of the man I choose.

Upon my soul, madam, you must be mine. Every word you speak adds a rivet to my chains. Then, sir, let us say no more upon this sub

ject.

He then laid a title to my gratitude from the passion he avowed for me.

That is a very poor plea, sir, said I, as you yourself would think, I believe, were one of our sex, whom you could not like, to claim a return of love from you upon it.

You are too refined, surely, madam. Refined! what meant the man by the word in this place?

I believe, sir, we differ very widely in many of our sentiments.

We will not differ in one, madam, when I know yours; such is the opinion I have of your prudence, that I will adopt them, and make them my own.

This may be said, sir; but there is hardly a man in the world that, saying it, would keep his word; nor a woman, who ought to expect he should.