fortune, tafte, and fincerity; fuch, madam, would be, in my opinion, the proper husband.' Ay, Sir,' faid fhe, but do you know of any fuch perfon ?'—

No, madam,' returned he, it is impoffible to know any perfon that deferves to be her husband: fhe's too great a trea⚫ fure for one man's poffeffion: fhe's a goddefs. Upon my foul, I fpeak what I think, fhe's an angel.'- --Ah, Mr. • Thornhill, you only flatter my poor girl : but we have been thinking of marrying 4 her to one of your tenants, whofe mother is lately dead, and who wants a mana

ger: you know whom I mean, farmer • Williams; a warm man, Mr. Thornhill, able to give her good bread; and who has feveral times made her proposals :' (which was actually the cafe) but, Sir,' concluded fhe, I should be glad to have your approbation of our choice.

How, Madam,' replied he, my ap' probation! My approbation of fuch a

C choice! Never. What! Sacrifice fo much

beauty, and fenfe, and goodness, to a crea

⚫ture

་

" me,

ture infenfible of the bleffing! Excufe I can never approve of fuch a piece of injuftice! And I have my reafons !'Indeed, Sir,' cried Deborah, if you have your reasons, that's another affair; • but I should be glad to know those rea• fons.' Excufe me, madam,' returned he, they lie too deep for difcovery :' (laying his hand upon his bofom) they ⚫ remain buried, rivetted here.'

6

After he was gone, upon general confultation, we could not tell what to make of these fine fentiments. Olivia confidered them as inftances of the moft exalted paffion; but I was not quite fo fanguine: it seemed to me pretty plain, that they had more of love than matrimony in them: yet, whatever they might portend, it was refolved to profecute the fcheme of farmer Williams, who, from my daughter's first appearance in the country, had paid her his addreffes.

Scarce

A

CHAP. XVII.

any virtue found to refift the power of long and pleafing temptation.

S I only studied my child's real hap piness, the affiduity of Mr. Williams pleased me, as he was in eafy circumftances, prudent, and fincere. It required but very little encouragement to revive hist former paffion; fo that in an evening or two he and Mr. Thornhill met at our houfe, and furveyed each other for fome time with looks of anger: but Williams owed his landlord no rent, and little regarded his indignation. Olivia, on her fide, acted the coquet to perfection, if that might be called acting which was her real character, pretending to lavish all her tenderness on her new lover. Mr. Thornhill appeared quite dejected at this preference, and with a penfive air took leave, though

H 5

though I own it puzzled me to find him fo much in pain as he appeared to be, when he had it in his power fo eafily to remove the cause, by declaring an honourable paffion. But whatever uneafinefs he seemed to endure, it could easily be perceived that Olivia's anguish was ftill greater. After any of thefe interviews between her lovers, of which there were feveral, fhe ufually retired to folitude, and there indulged her grief. It was in fuch a fituation I found her one evening, after fhe had been for fome time fupporting a fictitious gayety— • You now fee, my child,' faid I, that

your confidence in Mr. Thornhill's paffion was all a dream: he permits the

rivalry of another, every way his inferior, though he knows it lies in his power to • fecure you to himself by a candid decla'ration.' Yes, pappa,' returned fhe, but he has his reafons for this delay: I know he has. The fincerity of his looks and words convince me of his real esteem. A fhort time, I hope, will • difcover