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that unsuspected manner. But what new emotions did not his words create in her bosom! pride, resentment, self-reproach, wounded love, and mortified vanity, contributed at once to give them poignancy. She heard the whole; tears trembled in her eyes, suppressed sobs filled her bosom, but this was no moment to indulge them; she wished but to escape unobserved; for if she before feared discovery, when she expected only her lover's praises, how did she now dread it, when humiliated by his censure she blushed, though alone, and must have sunk had any one witnessed her confusion. She was however relieved by the departure of the gentlemen, and she then resolved to go to her room through the same door by which they had made their exit, in order to avoid meeting any one in the gallery, through which she must have passed by the other door. She resolved likewise to take no notice of what she had overheard, but to appear in an unconcerned temper, and to give the presumptuous

presumtuous lover, who could see faults in his mistress, his dismissal, without assigning any other reason than a change of inclination, and an absolute diminution of her regard. If Lady Rosamond had possessed the control over her feelings, which she flattered herself, she could exercise, this scheme would doubtless have been admirable, and the sweetness of the revenge that she meditated, might have consoled her for the bitter mortification which gave rise to it; but Lady Rosamond was not quite the stoic she believed herself, for her heart possessed great sensibility, though her pride often steeled her from its attacks. In going out of the library, she unfortunately met her father. Her agitation was too great to escape the eye of parental affection, particularly as she was a favorite daughter. The Earl enquired the cause of it in the tenderest accents. Poor Lady Rosamond, losing the command with which she had smothered her vexation, in a voice, choaked with

hysteric

hysteric sobs and drowned in tears, rashly entreated her father no longer to consider Captain Clayton as a suitor for her favor, but to give him his dismissal immediately. Astonished at the sudden change in his daughter's inclinations; mortified at her rejection of a man, whom he already esteemed, and shocked at the breach of hospitality of which she urged him to be guilty, the Earl employed every entreaty to learn the motives of her conduct, and every argument to shew its absurdity; but his efforts were vain ; for though Lady Rosamond was too just to condemn, where she could not believe censure to be actually due, yet was she also too proud to submit to it, even whilst she acknowledged its justice. The Earl was therefore obliged, however unwillingly, to aquiesce in his daughter's wishes. She begged of him to conceal them from the rest of the family; and he, in return, requested her to compose herself, tenderly assuring her, that if he ever appeared desirous of influencing

the

the inclinations of his children, in so important a step as that of marriage, he was prompted solely by his anxiety for their welfare, and his regard to their happi

ness.

CHAP.

CHAP. IX.

Rude were the storms which deep thro' my sad breast,
Have striv'n the gems of virtue to expel,
Rebellious passions robbed my soul of rest,
But in despondency's most baleful hour,
I felt within a renovating power
Strengthen my soul, and all at last is well.

ANN BATTEN CRISTALL.

AFTER the relation we have already given, it is unnecessary to inform our readers, that Captain Clayton was civilly informed that the continuance of his addresses was not desirable. Lady Rosamond having gratified her revenge, by the haughty indifference and frigid coldness which she displayed, yet found all her pride insufficient, to prevent her from regretting her precipitance in parting with her lover, whose merits had

made

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