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I have now been in this family nearly a
month, and feel my&longs;elf as happy as you
can imagine, by contra&longs;ting my pre&longs;ent with
my late friendle&longs;s and de&longs;olate condition.
Mrs. Rook&longs;by has &longs;een a good deal of company
&longs;ince I have been with her, and goes
frequently into public. I find, my dear Celia,
that &longs;en&longs;ibility is not always an object of
ridicule; for Mrs. Rook&longs;by and Mrs. Kingly
can &longs;hed tears at a tragedy without endeavouring
to conceal, or blu&longs;h for their weakness.
I have received &longs;everal very genteel
pre&longs;ents from the la&longs;t mentioned lady, and
whenever her aunt &longs;pends a day with her in
Golden-Square, I take that opportunity to
vi&longs;it Mi&longs;s Sidney, and &longs;o avoid a meeting
which I am &longs;en&longs;ible cannot be very de&longs;irable
to any of the parties.

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I have not as yet &longs;een Mr. Rook&longs;by, but
this evening his mother has a rout previous
to her leaving town, and &longs;he informs me he
will certainly be their. The good old lady
pathetically laments her &longs;ons unfortunate
attachment, &longs;ays, &longs;he is certain, from good
information, that he is the dupe of an artful
de&longs;igning woman. “She has caught him
in her deep laid &longs;nare,” &longs;aid &longs;he, “and he
holds him&longs;elf bound to her by gratitude and
honour; for I am convinced real affection
had little or no &longs;hare in fir&longs;t forming the
connection. He fir&longs;t became acquainted
with her at Oxford, where &longs;he pa&longs;&longs;ed for the
wife of an old coun&longs;ellor. Her form, I am
told, is very lovely, and it could not be supposed
that a lad of nineteen, &longs;hould repul&longs;e,
or fly the advances of a beautiful accomplished
woman. When he came to town &longs;he left
her hu&longs;band and two lovely children, and
followed him, when a lodging was taking
for her a few miles from London. When
he went to the continent &longs;he met him at
Dover, and in&longs;i&longs;ted on going with him, and
during their journey, the infatuated boy
con&longs;ented to her returning and living publicly
with him in a hou&longs;e he has taken for
the purpo&longs;e.”

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“He has been acquainted with her &longs;ome
years, then,” &longs;aid I. “It is above three
years,” &longs;he replied, “&longs;ince he fir&longs;t &longs;aw her.”

It is really a &longs;ad thing, my dear Celia,
that an abandoned woman &longs;hould prey upon
the fortune and de&longs;troy the peace of this
young man: yet if the tears and intreaties
of a fond mother cannot break the fatal
charm that holds him, &longs;ure every other effort
will be ineffectual. But now my friend,
I mu&longs;t throw a&longs;ide my pen, and be fine lady
enough to declare it is for the purpo&longs;e of
dre&longs;&longs;ing, I begin to wi&longs;h we were in the
country, I am already &longs;ick of parade, &longs;hew
and farce; for really a fa&longs;hionable life is
nothing better. How tire&longs;ome to be plagued
with the civil howdye's of fifty women,
who are immen&longs;ely happy to hear you are
well, and would &longs;ay, with the &longs;ame &longs;ang froid,
they were immen&longs;ely &longs;orry if they were told
you were dead. Oh what a mi&longs;erable figure
I &longs;hould make in the beau monde.

21&longs;t.

Really this Mr. Rook&longs;by is a very tolerable
being, and if I did not begin to fear he
may be the cau&longs;e of future vexation to me
I &longs;hould like to pa&longs;s an hour or two in his
company, now and then well enough. This
morning at breakfa&longs;t Mrs. Rook&longs;by &longs;aid

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“how happy my dear Mi&longs;s Howard, &longs;hould I
be, if your charms and engaging qualities
were to draw Clement from his unhappy engagement;
I have indulged the mo&longs;t plea&longs;ing
hopes from &longs;ome expre&longs;&longs;ions of admiration
and &longs;urpri&longs;e, which broke from him on being
introduced to you la&longs;t night.” “They
were merely words of cour&longs;e, madam,”
&longs;aid I, &longs;miling, “when he knew I was
honoured with your approbation, he could
not be &longs;o wanting in politene&longs;s as to expre&longs;s
any di&longs;like.” “But what will you &longs;ay my
dear,” &longs;he replied, “when I tell you he has
ab&longs;olutely engaged him&longs;elf to dine with me
to day, a favour he has not vouch&longs;afed above
twice &longs;ince I came to town.” “We will
hope, madam, he is returning to a proper
&longs;en&longs;e of his duty.”

“Ah! Meriel, I wi&longs;h he may entertain
a proper &longs;en&longs;e of your merit; how happy
&longs;hould I be in &longs;uch a daughter; how certain
would he be of happine&longs;s, if ble&longs;&longs;ed with
&longs;uch a wife.” “Dear madam, you over
power me; you over rate my merits, and
indeed I feel it is impo&longs;&longs;ible I &longs;hould ever
love any man &longs;ufficient to become his wife.”
“Come,” &longs;aid &longs;he, “be candid, you cannot
forget Kingly.” “Indeed, madam, if I
know my own heart, it never yet harboured
an improper wi&longs;h; I e&longs;teem both Mr. and

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Mrs. Kingly, but I &longs;hould be extremely sorry
to &longs;ee any misfortune di&longs;&longs;olve their union,
but let us drop the &longs;ubject, I wi&longs;h to remain
&longs;ingle; let me only enjoy your friend&longs;hip my
dear madam, and I &longs;hall be the happie&longs;t
creature on earth.”

At dinner time Mr. Rook&longs;by arrived. I
endeavoured to be unembarra&longs;&longs;ed in my
manner, but after what had pa&longs;&longs;ed in the
morning it was impo&longs;&longs;ible. He was attentively
polite; but I &longs;aw his dear mother
watch every look, and &longs;mile approbation,
whenever any thing e&longs;caped him that could
be con&longs;trued into tenderne&longs;s. She pre&longs;&longs;ed
me to play and &longs;ing: &longs;ome little drawings
too, which &longs;he has honoured by hanging in
the drawing-room, were &longs;ubmitted to his
in&longs;pection. “They are va&longs;tly well executed,”
&longs;aid he. “Clara draws very prettily.”
“I hope,” &longs;aid his mother, “you do not
make compari&longs;ons.” “A&longs;&longs;uredly I do,” he
replied ha&longs;tily, “but every compari&longs;on mu&longs;t
only convince me of Mi&longs;s Howard's evident
&longs;uperiority, not only in every virtue, but in
every accompli&longs;hment.” I hope, my dear
Celia, this young man will not take it into
his head to fancy him&longs;elf in love with me.
I never can like him; be&longs;ides, I am determined
never to marry. Adieu, my dear

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friend, I wi&longs;h I was in the convent with you;
but it was not my fate to pa&longs;s a &longs;erene, unruffled
life, and I mu&longs;t be as patient as I can
till my hour of re&longs;t arrives. Every your's,