You certainly, sir, say right. But be pleased to tell me what her ladyship said, when she knew you were married?

The countess's woman was in my interest, and let me into some of her lady's secrets, having a great share in her confidence; and particularly acquainted me how loath her lady was to believe I was married. I had paid her three visits in town, and attended her once to her seat upon the Forest, before she heard that I was. But when she was assured of it, and directed her Nelthorpe to ask me about it, and I readily owned it, she was greatly incensed, though nothing but general civilities, and intimacies not inconsistent with honourable friendship, had passed between us. The consequence was, she forbade my ever seeing her again, and set out with her sister and the viscount for Tunbridge, where she stayed about three weeks.

I thought I had already gone too far, and blamed myself for permitting her ladyship so long to believe me a single man; and here the mattered had dropped, in all probability, had not a ball given by my Lord -, to which, unknown to each other, we were both, as also the viscountess, invited, brought us again into one another's company. The lady withdrew, after a while, with her sister, to another apartment; and being resolved upon personal recrimination (which is what a lady, who is resolved to break with a favourite object, should never trust herself with), sent for me, and reproached me on my conduct, in which her sister joined.

I owned frankly that it was rather gaiety than design, that made me give cause, at the masquerade, for her ladyship to think I was not married; for that I had a wife who had a thousand excellences, and was my pride and my boast that I held it very possible for a gentleman and lady to carry on an innocent and honourable friendship, in a family way; and I was sure, when she and her sister saw my spouse, they would not be displeased with her acquaintance; and all that I had to reproach myself with was, that after having, at the masquerade, given reason to

think I was not married, I had been loath, officiously, to say I was, although it never was my intention to conceal it.

In short, I acquitted myself so well with both ladies, that a family intimacy was consented to.

I renewed my visits; and we accounted to one another's honour, by entering upon a kind of Platonic system, in which sex was to have no manner of concern.

But, my dear Pamela, I must own myself extremely blamable, because I knew the world, and human nature, I will say better than the lady, who never before had been trusted into it upon her own feet; and who, notwithstanding that wit and vivacity which every one admires in her, gave herself little time for consideration, as she had met with a man whose person and conversation she did not dislike, and whose circumstances and spirit set him above. sordid or mercenary views: and, besides, I made myself useful to her in some of her affairs, wherein she had been grossly abused; which brought us into more intimate and frequent conversations, than otherwise we should have had opportunities for.

I ought therefore to have more carefully guarded against inconveniences, which I knew were so likely to arise from such intimacies; and the rather, as I hinted, because the lady had no apprehension at all of any so that, my dear, if I have no excuse from human frailty, from youth, and the charms of the object, I am entirely destitute of any.

I see, Mr. Bsaid I, there is a great deal to be said for the lady. I wish I could say there was for the gentleman. But such a fine lady had been safe, with all her inconsideration; and so, forgive me, sir, would the gentleman, with all his intriguing spirit; had it not been for these vile masquerades. Never, dear sir, think of going to another.

Why, my dear, he was pleased to say, those are least of all to be trusted at these diversions, who are most desirous to go to them. Of this I am now fully convinced.

Well, sir, I long to hear the further particulars of this

VOL. III.

P

story for this generous openness, now the affair is over, cannot but be grateful to me, as it shows me you have no reserves, and as it tends to convince me that the lady was less blamable than I apprehended she was: For dearly do I love, for the honour of my sex, to find ladies of birth and quality innocent; who have so many opportunities of knowing and practising their duties, above what meaner persons can have; else, while the one fails through surprise and ignorance, it will look as if the others were faulty from inclination: and what a disgrace is that upon the sex in general! And what a triumph to the wicked ones of yours!

Well observed, my dear: this is like your generous and deep way of thinking.

Well, but, dear sir, proceed if you please your reconciliation is now effected: a friendship quadrupartite is commenced. And the viscountess and myself are to find cement for the erecting of an edifice, that is to be devoted to Platonic love. What, may I ask, came next? And what did you design should come of it?

The Oxford journey, my dear, followed next; and it was my fault that you were not a party in it: for both ladies were very desirous of your company: but it being about the time you were going abroad, after your lying-in, I excused you to them. Yet they both longed to see you; especially, as by this time, you may believe, they knew all your story and besides, whenever you were mentioned, I always did justice as well to your mind as to your person; and this, not only for the sake of justice, but, to say truth, because it gave the two sisters, and the viscount (whose softly character, and his lady's prudent and respectful conduct to him, notwithstanding that, are both so well known), less cause of suspicion that I had any dishonourable designs upon the dowager lady.

Miss Darnford will have it, permit me, my good lady, to observe, that I shall have some merit, with regard to the rest of my sex, if I can be a means to reform such a

dangerous spirit of intrigue as that of your dear brother: and the history of this affair from his own mouth, made me begin to pride myself on this head: for was he not, think you, madam, in this case, a sad man?-And how deeply was he able to lay his mischiefs! And how much had this fine lady been to be pitied, had she fallen by his arts; as he was almost the only man, who, by reason of the gracefulness of his person, his generosity, courage, ample fortune, and wit, could have made her unhappy!—God be praised, that it was stopped in time (although, as it seems, but just in time), as well for the poor lady's sake, as for Mr. B's and my own!

Excuse me, madam, for this digression. But yet, for what I am going to repeat, I shall want still farther excuse; for I cannot resist a little rising vanity upon a comparison (though only as to features), drawn by Mr. B—, between the countess and me; which, however the preference he gives me in it may be undeserved, yet it cannot but be very agreeable, in this particular case of a rivalry, to one who takes so much pride in his good opinion, and who makes it her chief study, by all honest and laudable means, to preserve it; but who else, I hope, am far from considering such a transitory advantage (had I it in as great a degree as his kind fancy imputes it to me), but as it deserves. I will give it, as near as I can, in his own words:

It may not be altogether amiss, my dear, now I have mentioned the justice I always did your character and merit, to give you a brief account of a comparison, which once the countess's curiosity drew from me, between your features and hers.

She and I were alone in the bay-window of her library, which commands a fine view over Windsor Forest, but which view we could not enjoy; for it rained, and blew a hurricane almost, which detained us within, although we were ready dressed to go abroad.

I began a subject which never fails to make the worst of

weather agreeable to a fine lady; that of praising her beauty, and the symmetry of her features, telling her how much I thought every graceful one in her face adorned the rest, as if they were all formed to give and receive advantage from each other. I added, approaching her, as if the more attentively to peruse her fine face, that I believed it possible, from the transparent whiteness of her skin, and the clear blueness of her veins, to discover the circulation without a microscope.

Keep your distance, Mr. B- said she. Does your magnifying thus egregiously the graces you impute to my outward form agree with your Platonic scheme? Your eye, penetrating as you imagine it to be, pierces not deep enough for a Platonic, if you cannot look farther than the white and the blue, and discover the circulation of the spirit; for our friendship is all mind, you know.

True, madam; but if the face is the index of the mind, when I contemplate yours I see and revere the beauties of both in one. And what Platonic laws forbid us to do justice to the one, when we admire the other?

B

Well, sit you down, bold Mr. B——, sit you down and answer me a question or two on this subject, since you will be always raising my vanity upon it.

I did, saluting her hand only; that was his word; which I took notice of in the dear Platonic, though I said nothing.

Tell me now of a truth, with all the charms your too agreeable flattery gives me, which is the most lovely, your Pamela or myself?

I told her, you were both incomparable, in a different way. Well, said she, I give up the person and air in general, because I have heard that she is slenderer and better shaped than most ladies; but for a few particulars, as to face (invidious as the comparison may be, and concerned as you are to justify your choice), I'll begin with the hair, Mr. B. Whose HAIR is of most advantage to her complexion?-Come, I fancy I shall, at least, divide perfections with your Pamela.