With how httle reason, my dearest sister, my excellent friend! All my family revere you: Sir Charles, his sisters, and I, love you: Lady G. par-ticularly admires you: she could not possibly look unkindly upon you. What has Olivia dared to re-port? I’ut did she ever forbear her rash censures? What can I advise you? 1 see your delicate distress. But suppose you open your mind to the marchioness ^ To Mrs. Beaumont suppose? She is the most prudent of women,

I know their minds already. Their judgments are m^x with me. Mrs. Beaumont (indeed without intending it) has tcrrilicd me. My mamma thinks herseli” bound by the articles, and will not speak.

Su|;pose, my dearest lady, you advise with Sir Charles? You know he is the most delicate-minded of men.

I sluiH ever lionoiu’ him: but your indisposition has matL’ me look u|)on him with nioie reverence than familiarity. 1 have avoided him. An exquisite pain has seized my heart, on being brought to meditate the impropriety of my situation: a pain I cannot describe. Here it used to be (putting her hand to her forehead); but herenovf it is (removing it to her heart); and at times I cannot bear it.

Let me beg of Lady Clementina to lay that noble heart open to Sir Charles. You know his disinter-ested affection for you. You know his regard for your glory. You know that your own mother, your own Mrs. Beaumont, are not more delicate than he is. You may unbosom yourself to him. But such is his fear of offending you, that you must begin. A small opening will do. His nice regard for your honour, for the honour of our sex, will, on a slight encouragement, spare you all that would be irksome to you. He has no prejudices in favour or disfavour of any body. He loves, it is true, he reveres your ivh: lie Jamil y; but //om more than all the rest, l^hall I say that he made his court to me in your name, and by your interest; yet acknowledged himself refused by an angel?

Excellent man! I voill consult him, and in your presence.

As to my presence, madam

It must be so, interrupted she: I shall want your support. Do you be my advocate with him; and if he will be an advocate for me, I may yet be happy. At present, 1 see but one way to extricate myself with honour, /dare not propose it. lie nvdy. The world and Olivia will not let me be, in that world, a single woman, and happy. Why should 1 not be allowed to quit it by a divine dedication?

I embraced her; soothed her: but thought of Sir Charles’s advice, not to lead, but to folloiv as she led: not one word, as I told her, would I say to him of what had passed between us, that she might have his own unprejudiced advice.