and would fo remain, till the gentleman had difcovered his.

And are there fome fituations, in which a woman) must conceal her true sentiments? In which it would, be thought immodefty to fpeak out?-Why was I born with an heart fo open and fincere? But why, indeed, as Sir Charles has faid in his Letter relating to the Danby's, fhould women be blamed, for owning modeftly a paffion for a worthy and suitable object? Is it, that they will not speak out, left, if their wishes fhould not be crowned with fuccefs by one man, they fhould deprive themselves of a chance to fucceed with another? Do they not propofe to make the man they love, happy?-And is it a crime to acknowlege, 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 littleness is there in the custom that compels us to be infincere? And fuppofe we do not fucceed with a firft object, fhall we cheat a future Lover with the notion that he was the firft?

Hitherto I had acted with fome felf-approbation: I told Mr. Greville, Mr. Fenwick, Mr. Orme, Mr. Fowler, that I had not seen the man to whom I could wifh 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 myself 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 measure, I now think, would have been, hot to have endeavoured to obtain lights from him, that we all thought he was not commiffioned to give; or, if we had, to have related to him the whole truth, and not have put on difguifes to him; but to have left him wholly a judge of the fit, and the unfit.

And this is LovE, is it? that puts an honeft girl upon approving of fuch tricks?-Begone, Love!

banish thee if thou wouldst 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 abfence on a visit 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 desk.

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 I 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 partake 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 up, unfolded it, and pointed to the first paragraph.

Tempter! faid I, how can you wish me to im tate our firft 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 acknowleged fault.

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

No, no, no, faid I, putting my fingers in 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 closet-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 archness 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 seen this letter for half I am worth! O Harriet! there are fuch things in it-Bologna Paris! Grandifon-hall !

Be gone, Siren; Letters are facred things. Replace it-Don't you own, that you came not honestly by it ?-And yet

Ah! Lucy, I was ready to yield to the curiofity fhe had raifed: But, recollecting myfelf, Be gone, faid I: Carry back the letter: I am afraid of myself.

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 you may be furprised, Harriet, at the time, and know not what answer to give to 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 afking me about the contents, and reading them?-But I'll tell you

No,

No, you fhall not: I will not hear the contents. I never will afk you. Can nobody act 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 used myself.

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

Praifes, Charlotte!-From your brother?-O 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 beseech you, anfwer me not. Dear creature, if you love me, replace the letter; and do not seek 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 guardianship, and carry her down with you into Northamptonshire ?-Anfwer me that.

Ah! Mifs Grandifon! And is there fuch a proposal mentioned as that? But anfwer me not, I beseech 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 myfelf (you are a fifter, madam, and have nothing either to hope or fear) I have a title to act with spirit, when occafions call for it.

My dear, you are ferious -Twice madam, in one breath! I will not forgive you. You ought now to hear that paffage read, which relates to you and Emily, if you will not read it yourself.

And he was looking for it; I fuppofe, intending to read it to me.

No, Mifs Grandifon, said I, laying my spread han₫ upon the letter; I will neither read it, nor hear it

B 3

read.

read. I begin to apprehend, that there will be occafion for me to exert all my fortitude; and while it is yet in my power to do a right or a wrong thing, I will not deprive myself of the consciousness of having merited well, whatever may be my lot-Excufe me, madam.

I went to the door, and was opening it-when fhe ran to me-Dear creature! you are angry with me: But how that pride becomes you! There is a dignity in it that awes me. O Harriet! how infinitely does it become the only woman in the world, that is worthy of the best man in it! Only fay, you are not angry with me. Say that you can and do forgive me.

Forgive you, my Charlotte!-I do. But can you fay, that you came not honeftly by that letter, and yet forgive yourself? But, my dear Mifs Grandison, inftantly replace it; and do you watch over me, like a true friend, if in a future hour of weakness you fhould find me defirous to know any of the contents of a paper fo naughtily come at. I own that I had like to have been overcome: And if I had, all the information it would have given me, could never have recompensed me for what I fhould have suffered in my own opinion, when I reflected on the means by which I had obtained it.

Superior creature! how you fhme me! I will replace the letter. And I promife you, that if I cannot forget the contents of it myself (and yet they are glorious to my brother) I will never mention of them to you; unless the letter be fairly communicated to you, and to us all.

any

I threw my arms about her neck. She fervently returned the fifterly embrace. We feparated; fhe retiring at one door, in order to go up to replace the letter; I at the other, to re-confider all that had paffed on the occafion. And I hope I fhall love her the better for taking fo kindly a behaviour so contrary to what her own had been.

Well,