Good news, Charles, good news!
I have arrived to the utmo&longs;t bounds of my
wi&longs;hes; the full po&longs;&longs;e&longs;&longs;ion of my adorable
Eliza! I have heard a quotation from a certain
book; but what book it was I have forgotten,
if I ever knew. No matter for that;

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the quotation is, that “&longs;tolen waters are
&longs;weet, and bread eaten in &longs;ecret is plea&longs;ant.”
If it has reference to the plea&longs;ures, which I
have enjoyed with Eliza, I like it hugely, as
Tri&longs;tram Shandy's father &longs;aid of Yorick's sermon;
and I think it fully verified.

I had a long and tedious &longs;iege. Every method
which love could fugge&longs;t, or art invent,
was adopted. I was &longs;ometimes ready to despair,
under an idea that her re&longs;olution was unconquerable,
her virtue impregnable. Indeed,
I &longs;hould have given over the pur&longs;uit long ago,
but for the hopes of &longs;ucce&longs;s I entertained
from her parlying with me, and in reliance
upon her own &longs;trength, endeavoring to combat,
and counteract my de&longs;igns. Whenever
this has been the ca&longs;e, Charles, I have never
yet been defeated in my plan. If a lady will
con&longs;ent to enter the li&longs;ts again&longs;t the antagoni&longs;t
of her honor, &longs;he may be &longs;ure of loo&longs;ing the
prize. Be&longs;ides; were her delicacy genuine,
the would bani&longs;h the man at once, who presumed
to doubt, which he certainly does, who
attempts to vanqui&longs;h it!

But, far be it from me to critici&longs;e the pretensions
of the &longs;ex. If I gain the rich reward
of my di&longs;&longs;imulation and gallantry, that you
know is all I want.

To return then to the point. An unlucky,
but not a miraculous accident, has taken place,
which mu&longs;t &longs;oon expo&longs;e our amour. What

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can be done? At the fir&longs;t di&longs;covery, ab&longs;olute
di&longs;traction &longs;eized the &longs;oul of Eliza, which has
&longs;ince terminated in a fixed melancholy. Her
health too is much impaired. She thinks herself
rapidly declining; and I tremble when I
&longs;ee her emaciated form!

My wife has been reduced very low, of late.
She brought me a boy a few weeks pa&longs;t, a dead
one though.

The&longs;e circum&longs;tances give me neither pain
nor plea&longs;ure. I am too much ingro&longs;&longs;ed by
my divinity, to take an intere&longs;t in any thing
el&longs;e. True, I have lately &longs;uffered my&longs;elf to be
&longs;omewhat engaged here and there, by a few
jovial lads, who a&longs;&longs;i&longs;t me in di&longs;pelling the anxious
thoughts, which my perplexed situation
excites. I mu&longs;t, however, &longs;eek &longs;ome
means to relieve Eliza's di&longs;tre&longs;s. My finances
are low; but the la&longs;t fraction &longs;hall be expended
in her &longs;ervice, if &longs;he need it.

Julia Granby is expected at Mrs. Wharton's
every hour. I fear that her inquisitorial
eye will &longs;oon detect our intrigue, and obstruct
its continuation. Now there's a girl,
Charles, I &longs;hould never attempt to &longs;educe;
yet &longs;he is a mo&longs;t alluring object, I a&longs;&longs;ure you.
But the dignity of her manners forbid all asfaults
upon her virtue. Why, the very expression
of her eye, bla&longs;ts in the bud, every
thought, derogatory to her honor; and tells
you plainly, that the fir&longs;t in&longs;inuation of the

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kind, would be puni&longs;hed with eternal banishment
and di&longs;plea&longs;ure! Of her there is no
danger! But I can write no more, except that
I am, &c.