Not a slight one. I assure you, that Clementina knows her own worth. She will put a just value upon herself. In her unhappy delirium, she always preserved a high sense of that delicacy, which distinguishes the woman of true honour. It shines forth now in all her words and actions with redoubled lustre. She will make the more difficulties, as her friends make less. Nothing can be done soon: and if it will make your lordship easier (for I see you are disturbed) I will acquaint you when any-thing is likely to be carried into effect.

And is nothing yet concluded on? And will you give me such notice?

I will, my lord.

Upon your honour?

Upon my honour.

Well then, 1 have some days longer to crawl upon this earth.

What means my lord?

This I mean, withdrawing his hands from mine, and taking out of his pockets two pistols: I came resolved, that you should take one of these, at your choice, had the affair been concluded upon, as I dreaded it would. I am no assassin, Sir, nor ever employed one: nor would I have deprived Clementina of her elected husband. All I intended was, that the hand to which she is to give hers, should have first taken my life. I will not. I cannot live, to see her the wife of any man on earth, though she has refused to be mine You should have Jbund I would not.

What a rashness! But I see your mind is disturbed. The Count of Belvedere could not other — wise talk in this manner.

It is not impossible, surely, my dear Dr. Bartlett (however improbable, as I begin to apprehend) that Clementina may change her mind. I could not, therefore, acquaint the count with our present situ-ation; because the hope he would have conceived from it, would, in case of a change, have added strength to his despair. I contented myself, there-fore, to reason with him on his rash intention. And having renewed my assurances, as above, he took leave of me so much recovered, as to thank me for the advice 1 had given him; and to promise, that he would make it the foundation of his prayers to heaven for a calmer mind than he had known for some days past.

Saunders and his valetseemed overjoyed at seeing us come down together, in an amicable manner; and in the high civility each paid the other.

I should have mentioned, that the count, of his own accord, in passing through my antechamber to the stairs, laid in one of the windows the two pistols. My dear Grandison, said he, let these remain in your keeping. They are pieces of curious workmanship. Whither might one of them, by this time, have sent me! And in what difficulties might you the survivor, a foreigner, have been involved; which then I considered not; for all my malice was levelled against my unhappy self! I will not trust myself with them