"what does all this fignify? I am but a clown in "better clothes. Why was my father so neglect"ful of my education, or rather why was I fo "negligent to avail myself of the little he allowed "me? What would I not give to redeem the time "I have thrown away! But 'tis in vain : I have "neither wit to recommend myself, nor address "to disguise my want of it; I have nothing to "plead in my favour, but common honour and "honefty; and what cares that old hard-hearted "fellow for qualities, which could not reconcile "him to his own fon-in-law? he will certainly "look upon me with contempt. As for Conftan"tia, gratitude, perhaps, might in time have dif "pofed her heart towards me, and my zealous "fervices might have induced her mother to over"look my deficiencies, but there is an end of that "only chance I had for happiness, and I am a fool "to thrust myself into a fociety, where I am fure "to heap fresh fuel on my passion, and fresh mis"fortunes on my head."

With these impreffions, which I could only forth but not difpel, Ned proceeded to the place of meeting with an aching heart and dejected countenance. We found the whole party affembled to receive us, and though my friend's embarraffinent difabled him from uttering any one of the readymade speeches he had digefted for the purpofe, yet I faw nothing in Mr. Somerville's countenance or addrefs, that could augur otherwife than well for honeft Ned; Mrs. Goodifon was as gracious as poffible, and Conftantia's fmile was benignity itself. Honeft Abrahams, who has all the hospitality, as well as virtues of his forefathers the patriarchs, received us with open arms, and a face in which D 2 wide

wide-mouthed joy grinned moft delectably. It was with pleasure I obferved Mr. Somerville's grateful attentions towards him and his good dame; they had nothing of oftentation or artifice in them, but feemed the genuine effufions of his heart; they convinced me he was not a man innately morofe, and that the refentment, fo long fostered in his bofom, was effectually extirpated. Mrs. Abrahams, in her province, had exerted herself to very good purpofe, and fpread her board, if not elegantly, yet abundantly: Abrahams, on his part, kept his wine and his tongue going with inceffant gaiety and good-humour, and whilft he took every opportunity of drawing forth Ned's honeft heart and natural manners to the best advantage, I was happy in discovering that they did not efcape the intuition of Somerville, and that he made fafter progrefs towards his good opinion, than if he had exhibited better breeding and lefs fincerity of character.

In the courfe of the evening the old gentleman. told us he had determined upon taking his daughter and Conftantia into the country with him, where he flattered himself Mrs. Goodifon would recover her health and fpirits fooner than in town, and at the fame time gave us all in turn a preffing invitation to his house. Abrahams and his wife excufed themselves on the fcore of bufinefs; but Ned, who had no fuch plea to make, nor any difpofition to invent one, thankfully accepted the propofal.

The day fucceeding, and fome few others, were paffed by Mrs. Goodifon and Conftantia at Mr. Somerville's in the neceffary preparations and arrangements previous to their leaving London; during this time Ned's diffidence and their occuptions did not admit of any interview, and their

departure

departure was only announced to him by a note from the old gentleman, reminding him of his engagement his fpirits were by this time fo much lowered from their late elevation, that he even doubted if he fhould accept the invitation: love however took care to fettle this point in his own favour, and Ned arrived at the place of his deftination rather as a victim under the power of a hopelefs paffion, than as a modern fine gentleman. with the affuming airs of a conqueror.

The

charms of the beautiful Conftantia, which had drawn her indolent admirer fo much out of his character and fo far from his home, now heightened by the happy reverse of her fituation, and fet off with all the aids of drefs, dazzled him with their luftre; and though her change of fortune and appearance was not calculated to diminish his paffion, it feemed to forbid his hopes: in forrow, poverty and dependance fhe had infpired him with the ge nerous ambition of refcuing her from a fituation fo ill proportioned to her merits, and, though he had not actually made, he had very feriously meditated a propofal of marriage: He saw her now in a far different point of view, and comparing her with himself, her beauty, fortune and accomplishments with his own confcious deficiencies, he funk into defpair. This was not unobferved by Conftantia, neither did he want the penetration to difcern the cause of it. When he had dragged on this wretched exiftence for fome days, he found the pain of it no longer fupportable, and, afhamed of wearing a face of woe in the house of happiness, he took the hardy refolution of bidding farewell to Conftantia and his hopes for ever.

Whilft

Whilft he was meditating upon this painful fubject one evening during a folitary walk, he was furprized to hear himself accofted by the very perfon, from whofe chains he had determined to break loofe; Conftantia was unattended, the place was retired, the hour was folemn, and her looks were soft and full of compaffion. What cannot love effect? it infpired him with refolution to fpeak; it did more, it fupplied him with eloquence to exprefs his feelings.

Conftantia in few words gave him to understand that the rightly gueffed the fituation of his mind; this at once drew from him a confeffion of his love and his defpair of the former he spoke little and with no difplay; he neither fought to recommend his paffion, or excite her pity; of his own defects he fpoke more at large, and dwelt much upon his want of education; he reproached himself for the habitual indolence of his difpofition, and then, for the first time, raifing his eyes from the ground, he turned them on Conftantia, and after a pause exclaimed, "Thank Heaven! you are reftored to a "condition, which no longer fubjects you to the "poffible facrifice I had once the audacity to hint 66 at. Conscious as I am of my own unworthiness at all times to afpire to fuch a proposal, let me "do myself the juftice to declare that my heart was open to you in the pureft fenfe; that to "have tendered an afylum to your beloved mother, "without enfnaring your heart by the obligation, "would still have been the pride of my life, and "I as truly abhorred to exact, as you could difdain to grant, an interefted furrender of your hand: "and now, lovely Conftantia, when I am about to leave you in the bofom of profperity, if I

66

"do

"do not feem to part from you with all that "unmixt felicity, which your good fortune ought "to infpire, do not reproach me for my unhappy "weakness; but recollect for once in your life, "that your charms are irrefiftible, and my foul only too fufceptible of their power and too far "plunged into defpair, to admit of any happiness "hereafter."

At the conclufion of this fpeech Ned again fixt his eyes on the ground; after a fhort filence, "I "perceive," replied Conftantia, "that my obfer"vations of late were rightly formed and you "have been torturing your mind with reflections very flattering to me, but not very just towards "yourfelf: believe me, Sir, your opinion is as "much too exalted in one cafe, as it is too humble "in the other. As for me, having as yet feen "little of the world but its miferies, and being " indebted to the benevolence of human nature "for fupporting me under them, I fhall ever look "to that principle as a greater recommendation in "the character of a companion for life, than the "moft brilliant talents or moft elegant accom"plifhments: in the quiet walks of life I fhall "expect to find my enjoyments." Here Ned ftarted from his reverie, a gleam of joy rufhed upon his heart, by an involuntary motion he had grafped one of her hands; the perceived the tumult her words had created, and extricating her hand from his-" Permit me," faid fhe, "to "qualify my refpect for a benevolent difpofition "by remarking to you, that without activity there "can be no virtue: I will explain myfelf more "particularly; I will speak to you with the fincerity of a friend-You are bleft with excellent

"natural