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,, a conduct of which I had difcovered the defign, I fmarted very feverely for it: for my aunt really „ conceived me to be what her lover (as fhe thought him) called me, and treated me, in all refpects, as a perfect infant. To fay the truth, I wonder fhe had not infisted on my again wearing leading-strings.

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"At laft, my lover (for fo he was) thought „ proper, in a most folemn manner, to disclose a fecret which I had known long before. He now placed all the love which he had pretended to » my aunt to my account. He lamented, He lamented, in very pathetic terms, the encouragement she had given ,, him, and made a high merit of the tedious hours, in which he had undergone her converfation.What shall I tell you, my dear Sophia? - Then I will confefs the truth, I was pleased with my man. I was pleased with my conqueft. To rival » my aunt, delighted me; to rival fo many other " women, charmed me. In fhort, I am afraid, ,, I did not behave as I fhould do, even upon the " very firft declaration. I wish I did not almost » give him pofitive encouragement before we parted.

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"The Bath now talked loudly, I might almost fay, roared against me. Several young women affected to fhun my acquaintance, not fo much, perhaps, from any real fufpicion, as from a defire of banishing me from a company, in which I too much engroffed their favorite man. And here I cannot omit, expreffing my gratitude to the kindness intended me by Mr. Nash; who took

me

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me one day afide, and gave me advice, which, if I had followed, I had been a happy woman. Child" fays he, "I am forry to fee the familiarity which subsists between you and a fellow who is altogether unworthy of you, and I am afraid will prove your ruin. As for your old ftinking aunt, if it was to be no injury to you, and my pretty Sophia Western (I affure you I „ repeat his words) I should be heartily glad, that ,, the fellow was in poffeffion of all that belongs to her. I never advise old women: for if they take it into their heads to go to the devil, it is , no more poffible, than worth while, to keep them from him. Innocence and youth and beauty are "worthy a better fate, and I would fave them from his clutches. Let me advise you therefore, dear child; never fuffer this fellow to be particular with you again."-"Many more things he faid ,, to me, which I have now forgotten, and indeed I attended little to them at that time: for inclinvery ation contradicted all he faid; and befides I could not be perfuaded, that women of quality would ,, condefcend to familiarity with fuch a perfon as he described.

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"But I am afraid, my dear, I fhall tire you with a detail of fo many minute circumstances. To be concife, therefore, imagine me married; imagine ,, me, with my husband, at the feet of my aunt; and then imagine the maddeft woman in Bedlam in a raving fit, and your imagination will fuggeft to you no more than what really happened. VOL. III.

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"The very next day my aunt left the place, partly to avoid feeing Mr. Fitzpatrick or myself and as much perhaps to avoid feeing any one ,, elfe; for, though I am told fhe has fince denied ,, every thing ftoutly, I believe fhe was then a little confounded at her disappointment. Since that time I have written to her many letters, but never could obtain an anfwer, which I must own fits fomewhat the heavier, as fhe herself was, tho' undefignedly, the occafion of all my fufferings: for had it not been under the color of paying his addresses to her, Mr. Fitzpatrick would never have found fufficient opportunities to have en"gaged my heart, which, in other circumftances, I still flatter myself would not have been an easy conqueft to fuch a perfon. Indeed, I believe, I fhould not have erred fo grofsly in my choice, if I had relied on my own judgment; but I trusted totally to the opinion of others, and very foolishly took the merit of a man for granted, whom I saw fo univerfally well received by the women. What is the reason, my dear, that we, who have understandings equal to the wifeft and » greatest of the other fex, fo often make choice of the fillieft fellows for companions and favorites? It raises my indignation to the highest pitch, to ,, reflect on the numbers of women of fense who have been undone by fools." Here fhe paufed a moment; but Sophia making no anfwer, fhe proceeded as in the next Chapter.

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CHA P. V.

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In which the History of Mrs. Fitzpatrick is continued.

WE remained at Bath no longer than a fort

» night after our wedding: for as to any reconcili,, ation with my aunt there was no hopes; and of » my fortune, not one farthing could be touched till I was at age, of which I now wanted more than two years. My husband therefore was refolved to fet out for Ireland; against which I remonstrated very earnestly, and insisted on a promise which he had made me before our marriage, that I should never take this journey against "my confent; and indeed I never intended to 'confent to it; nor will any body, I believe, blame me for that refolution; but this, however, I never mentioned to my husband, and petitioned only for the reprieve of a month; but he had fixed the day, and to that day he obftinately adhered.

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"The evening before our departure, as we ,, were disputing this point with great eagerness on both fides, he started fuddenly from his chair, and left me abruptly, faying, he was going to the Rooms. He was hardly out of the house, when I faw a paper lying on the floor, ,, which, I fuppofe, he had carelessly pulled from

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his pocket, together with his handkerchief. This ,, paper I took up, and finding it to be a letter, I made no scruple to open and read it; and indeed I read it fo often, that I can repeat it almoft word for word. This then was

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to you

❞ the letter.

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"To Mr. Brian Fitzpatrick.

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Sir,

YOURS received, and am surprised you should

ufe me in this manner, as I have never feen » any of your cafh, unlefs for one linfey-woolfey ,, coat, and your bill now is upwards of 150 l. Confider, Sir, how often you have fobbed me off with your being fhortly to be married to this Lady and t'other Lady; but I can neither live on hopes and promifes, nor will my woollen-draper take any fuch in payment. You tell ,, me you are fecure of having either the aunt or the niece, and that you might have married the aunt before this, whofe jointure you fay is immenfe, but that you prefer the niece on account of her ready money. Pray, Sir, take a fool's advice for once, and marry the first you can ,, get. You will pardon my offering my advice, », as you know I fincerely wifh you well. Shall » draw on you per next poft, in favor of Meffieurs

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