But how wickedly do you treat your lord! Fie upon you, Charlotte! And fie upon you again, for writing what I cannot for your credit-sake read out to my friends. I wish, my dear, I could bring you to think, that there cannot be wit without justice; nor humour without decorum: my lord has some few foibles: but shall a wife be the first to discover them, and expose him for them? Cannot you cure him of them, without treating him with a ridicule which borders upon contempt? O my dear, you shew us much greater foibles in yourself, than my lord ever yet had when you make so bad an use of talents that were given you for better purposes. One word only more on this subject You cannot make me smile, my dear, when you are thus unsea-sonable in your mirth. Henceforth, then, remem — ber, that your excursiveuess (ailow me the word, I had a harsher in my head) upon old maids, and your lord, can only please yourself; and I will not accept of your compliment, because I will not be a partaker in your fault; as I should be, if I could countenance your levity.

Levity, Harriet!

Yes, levity, Charlotte I will not spare you. Whom do you spare?

But do you really think me so ill as you repre-sented me to be, to your brother? I don’t think I am. If I did, I am sure I should endeavour to put my thoughts into an absolutely new train t nor wOuld I quit the hold which, at proper times, I do let go, to re-enter the worid, as an individual, who imagines herself of some little use in it; and who is therefore obliged to perform, with cheerfulness, her allotted offices, however generally insignificant I may comparatively be.

You say, you had no thoughts of exciting your brother’s attention, by your strong colouring, when you described the effects of my indisposition to him. Attention! Compassion you might as well have said I hope not . And I am obliged to Mr. Beauchamp for his inference, from my cheerfulness, that nothing lay upon my mind Now, though that inference seemed to imply, that he thought, if he had not made the observation, something might have been supposed to lie upon my mind I am much better satisfied that he made it, than if Sir Charles had.