They owned they were: but said, that if it were not mine, they thought themselves bound in honour to consent, that I should try, by generous means (and they were sure I would not think of any other) to prevail upon her in my favour.

I presume, said I, that the bishop has already acquainted you with the substance of what passed just now, between Lady Clementina and me.

They were silent.

Has not your ladyship seen Lady Clementina since?

I have: and she is extremely uneasy. She wishes you could be of our religion. Could it have been so, I, for my part, should rather have called the Chevalier Grandison my son, than any man in the world. Clementina told me, added she (I cannot but say with more composure than I could have expected, though not without tears) that you promised to urge her no more on this subject. She owns, that more than once, as you talked to her, she could hardly forbear giving you her hand, on your own terms. But she says, that you were the most ge-nerous of men, when you saw she made a point of conscience of her adherence to her newly taken re-solution. And now, chevalier, having made my lord and the count acquainted with all these things, we are come to advise with you what is to be done.

Dear Grandison, said the marquis, advise us. We want an opportunity to shew you, in more than words, our gratitude for all your goodness to us: we want to appease our Jeronymo; who is ready to suspect, that his brother and Father Marescotti have contributed to this turn in our daughter’s mind: and we want you to declare freely your own sentiments, with regard to Clementina; and whether you would advise us, as well for her own sake, as for yours, to endeavour to prevail on her to change her mind. Dear creature! a relapse would now be fatal to her, and to her mother and me.

I have no difficulty, my lord, to answer to these points. As to the first, I am greatly rewarded by the pleasure I have, in the more than could be hoped-for happy effects of Mr. Lowther’s skill: and in the prospects that orien to us of Lady Clemen-tina’s restored health of mind. On this subject i have but one request to make: it is that you will not mortify me so much, as to suppose, that I am not sufficiently rewarded.