back, which might probably proceed from envy; for by the women he was well received, and very particularly diftinguished by them.

My aunt, though no perfon of quality herfelf, as fhe had always lived about the court, was inrolled in that party: for by whatever means you get into the polite circle, when you are once there, it is fuf'ficient merit for you that you are there. This obfervation, young as you was, you could scarce avoid making from my aunt, who was free, or referved, with all people, just as they had more or lefs of this merit

And this merit, I believe, it was, which principally recommended Mr. Fitzpatrick to her favour. In which he fo well fucceeded, that he was always one of her private parties. Nor was he backward in returning fuch diftinction; for he foon grew fo very particular in his behaviour to her, that the fcandal club first began to take notice of it, and the better dispofed perfons made a match between them. For my own part, I confefs, I made no doubt but that his defigns were ftrictly honourable, as the phrafe is; that is, to rob a lady of her fortune by way of marriage. My aunt was, I conceived, neither young enough nor handfome enough, to attract ⚫ much wicked inclination; but she had matrimonial charms in great abundance.

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I was the more confirmed in this opinion from the extraordinary respect which he thewed to myfelf, from the first moment of our acquaintance. This I understood as an attempt to leffen, if poffi⚫ble, that disinclination which my interest might be fuppofed to give me towards the match; and I know not but in fome meafure it had that effect: for as I was well contented with my own fortune, and of all people the leaft a flave to interested views; so I could not be violently the enemy of a man with whofe behaviour to me I was greatly pleafed; and the more fo, as I was the only object of fuch refpect; for he behaved at the fame time to many women of quality without any respect at all.

Agreeable as this was to me, he foon changed it

' into another kind of behaviour, which was perhaps 'more fo. He now put on much foftnefs and tendernefs, and languifhed and fighed abundantly. At 'times indeed, whether from art or nature I will not 'determine, he gave his ufual loofe to gaiety and mirth; but this was always in general company," and with other women; for even in a countrydance, when he was not my partner, he became grave; and put on the fofteft look imaginable, the moment he approached me. Indeed he was in all things fo very particular towards me that I must have been blind not to have difcovered it. And, and, and-' And you was more pleased still, my

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dear Harriet,' cries Sophia;

afhamed,' added she fighing;

you need not be for fure there are

'irrefiftible charms in tenderness, which too many men are able to affect.'' True,' answered her coufin, men, who in all other inftances want common fenfe, are very Machiavels in the art of loving. I 'wish I did not know an inftance. Well, fcandal now began to be as bufy with me as it had before been with my aunt; and fome good ladies did not fcruple to affirm, that Mr. Fitzpatrick had an intrigue with us both

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But what may feem aftonishing; my aunt never faw, nor in the leaft feemed to fufpect that which was vifible enough, I believe, from both our beha'viours. One would indeed think, that love quite puts out the eyes of an old woman. In fact, they fo greedily fwallow the addreffes which are made to them, that, like an outrageous glutton, they are not at leifure to obferve what paffes amongst others at the fame table. This 1 have obferved in more cafes than my own; and this was fo strongly verified by my aunt, that, though fhe often found us together at her return from the pump, the least canting word of his, pretending impatience at her abfence, effectually fmothered all iufpicion. One artifice fucceeded with her to admiration. This was his treating me like a little child, and never calling me by any other name in her prefence, but that of pretty mifs. This indeed did him fome differvice

• with your humble servant; but I foon saw through it, efpecially as in her abfence he behaved to me, ⚫ as I have faid, in a different manner. However, if I was not greatly difobliged by a condus of which I had discovered the defign, I marted very feverely ⚫ for it; for my aunt really conceived me to be what her lover (as the thought him), called me, and treated me, in all refpecs, as a perfect infant. To fay the truth, I wonder fhe had not infifted on my again wearing leading-ftrings.

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At laft, my lover (for fo he was), thought proper, in a most folemn manner, to disclose a secret which • I had known long before. He now placed all the love which he had pretended to my aunt to my ac count. He lamented, in very pathetic terms, the encouragement fhe had given him, and made a high merit of the tedious hours, in which he had under6 gone her converfation.-What thall I tell you, my dear Sophia?-Then I will confefs the truth, I was pleafed with my man. I was pleafed with my conqueft. To rival my aunt delighted me; to rival fo : many other women charmed me. In thort, I am afraid, I did not behave as I fhould do, even upon the very first declaration. I with I did not almost give him pofitive encouragement before we parted.

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The Bath now talked loudly, I might almost lay, roared against me. Several young women affected to thun my acquaintance, not fo much perhaps from any real fulpicion, as from a defire of banishing me from a company, in which I too much engroiled their favourite man. And here I cannot omit expreffing my gratitude to the kindness intended me by Mr. Nath; who took 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 fubfifts between you and a fellow who is altogether unworthy of you, and I am afraid will prove your ruin. As for your old flinking aunt, if it was to be no injury to you, and my pretty Sophy Weitern, (I affure you I repeat his words), I fhould be heartily glad that the fellow was in poffeffion of all that belongs to her. I ne

"ver advise old women: for, if they take it into their heads to go to the devil, it is no more poffi"ble, 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 very little to them at that time: for inclination 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 circumitances. To be concife therefore, imagine me married; imagine me with my husband, at the feet of my aunt; and then imagine the maddest woman in Bedlam in a raving fit, and your imagination will fuggeft to you no more than what really happened.

The very next day my aunt left the place, partly to avoid feeing Mr. Fitzpatrick or myfelf, and as much perhaps to avoid feeing any one elfe; for, though I am told fhe hath fince denied every thing ftoutly, I believe she was then a little confounded at her difappointment. 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 the herself was, though undefignedly, the occa• fion of all my fufferings: for, had it not been under the colour of paying his addreffes to her, Mr. Fitzpatrick would never have found fufficient opportu rities to have engaged my heart, which, in other • circumstances, I tili flatter myself would not have been an eafy conquest 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 ( trufled totally to the opinion of others, and very foolishly took the merit of a man for granted, whom I faw fo univerfally well received by the women. What is the reafon, my dear, that we who have underftandings, equal to the wifelt and greatest of the VOL. VIII. S • other

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other fex, fo often make choice of the fillieft fel. lows for companions and favourites? It raifes my indignation to the highest pitch, to reflect on the ⚫ numbers of women of fenfe who have been undone by fools.' Here the paufed a moment; but, Sophia making no answer, the proceeded as in the next chap

ter,

CHA P. V.

In which the hiftory of Mrs. Fitzpatrick is continued.

WE

E remained at Bath no longer than a fortnight after our wedding: for, as to any reconciliation with my aunt, there were no hopes; and of my fortune, not one farthing could be touched tili I was of age, of which I now wanted more than two years. My bufband, therefore, was refolved to fet out for Ireland; against which I re• monftrated very earnestly, and infifted on a promise which he had made me before our marriage, that I fhould 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 difputing this point with great eagerness on both fides, he started fuddenly from his chair, and left me abruptly, saying, 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 his pocket, together with his handkerchief. This paper I took up, and, finding it to be a letter, I made no fcruple to open and read it; and indeed I read it fo often, that I can repeat it to you almost word for word. This then 6 was the letter.

To