' designs against the person who is so happy as to possess 'it? But, indeed, if ever envy can possibly have any ( excuse, or even alleviation, it is in this case, where 'the good is so great, that it must be equally natural 'to all who wish it for themselves; nor am I ashamed 'to own it and to your merit, Horatio, I am obliged: 'that prevents my being in that most uneasy of all 'the situations I can figure in my imagination, of being 'led by inclination to love the person whom my own 'judgment forces me to condemn.' Matters were in so great forwardness between this fond couple, that the day was fixed for their marriage, and was now within a fortnight, when the sessions chanced to be held for that county in a town about twenty miles' distance from that which is the scene of our story. It seems, it is usual for the young gentlemen of the bar to repair to these sessions, not so much for the sake of profit, as to show their parts, and learn the law of the justices of peace; for which purpose one of the wisest and gravest of all the justices is appointed speaker, or chairman as they modestly call it, and he reads them a lecture, and instructs them in the true knowledge of the law. 'You are here guilty of a little mistake,' says Adams, which, if you please, I will correct: I have attended at 'one of these quarter-sessions, where I observed the 'counsel taught the justices, instead of learning any thing ' of them.' It is not very material, said the lady. Hither repaired Horatio, who, as he hoped by his profession to advance his fortune, which was not at present very large, for the sake of his dear Leonora, he resolved to spare no pains, nor lose any opportunity of improving or advancing himself in it. The same afternoon in which he left the town, as Leonora stood at her window, a coach and six passed by, which she declared to be the completest, genteelest, prettiest equipage she ever saw; adding these remarkable words, O, I am in love with that equipage!' which, though her friend Florella at that time did not greatly regard, she hath since remembered. In the evening an assembly was held, which Leonora honoured with her company: but intended to pay her Horatio the compliment of refusing to dance in his absence. O, why have not women as good resolution to maintain their vows, as they have often good inclinations in making them! The gentleman who owned the coach and six came to the assembly. His clothes were as remarkably fine as his equipage could be. He soon attracted the eyes of the company; all the smarts, all the silk waistcoats with silver and gold edgings, were eclipsed in an instant. 'Madam,' says Adams, if it be not impertinent, I 'should be glad to know how this gentleman was drest.' Sir, answered the lady, I have been told he had on a cut velvet coat of a cinnamon colour, lined with a pink satin, embroidered all over with gold: his waistcoat, which was cloth of silver, was embroidered with gold likewise. I cannot be particular as to the rest of his dress; but it was all in the French fashion, for Bellarmine (that was his name) was just arrived from Paris. This fine figure did not more entirely engage the eyes of every lady in the assembly than Leonora did his. He had scarce beheld her, but he stood motionless and fixed as a statue, or at least would have done so, if good breeding had permitted him. However, he carried it so far, before he had power to correct himself, that every person in the room easily discovered where his admiration was settled. The other ladies began to single out their former partners, all perceiving who would be Bellarmine's choice; which they however endeavoured, by all possible means, to prevent: many of them saying to Leonora, 'O Madam! I suppose we shan't have the pleasure ' of seeing you dance to-night;' and then crying out, in Bellarmine's hearing, 'O! Leonora will not dance, I assure you: her partner is not here.' One maliciously attempted to prevent her, by sending a disagreeable fellow to ask her, that so she might be obliged either to dance with him, or sit down; but this scheme proved abortive. เ Leonora saw herself admired by the fine stranger, and envied by every woman present. Her little heart began to flutter within her, and her head was agitated with a convulsive motion: she seemed as if she would speak to several of her acquaintance, but had nothing to say; for as she would not mention her present triumph, so she could not disengage her thoughts one moment from the contemplation of it. She had never tasted any thing like this happiness. She had before known what it was to torment a single woman; but to be hated and secretly cursed by a whole assembly, was a joy reserved for this blessed moment. As this vast profusion of ecstacy had confounded her understanding, so there was nothing so foolish as her behaviour: she played a thousand childish tricks, distorted her person into several shapes, and her face into several laughs, without any reason. In a word, her carriage was as absurd as her desires, which were to affect an insensibility of the stranger's admiration, and at the same time a triumph, from that admiration, over every woman in the room. In this temper of mind, Bellarmine, having inquired who she was, advanced to her, and with a low bow begged the honour of dancing with her, which she, with เ as low a curt'sy, immediately granted. She danced with him all night, and enjoyed perhaps the highest pleasure that she was capable of feeling. At these words, Adams fetched a deep groan, whieh frighted the ladies, who told him, they hoped he was not ill. He answered, he groaned only for the folly of Leonora. Leonora retired (continued the lady) about six in the morning, but not to rest. She tumbled and tossed in her bed, with very short intervals of sleep, and those entirely filled with dreams of the equipage and fine clothes she had seen, and the balls, operas, and ridottos, which had been the subject of their conversation. In the afternoon, Bellarmine, in the dear coach and six, came to wait on her. He was indeed charmed with her person, and was, on inquiry, so well pleased with the circumstances of her father (for he himself, notwithstanding all his finery, was not quite so rich as a Croesus or an Attalus). 'Attalus,' says Mr. Adams: 'but pray how came you acquainted with these names?' The lady smiled at the question, and proceeded. He was SO pleased, I say, that he resolved to make his addresses to her directly. He did so accordingly, and that with so much warmth and briskness, that he quickly baffled her weak repulses, and obliged the lady to refer him to her father, who, she knew, would quickly declare in favour of a coach and six. Thus, what Horatio had by sighs and tears, love and tenderness, been so long obtaining, the French-English Bellarmine with gaiety and gallantry possessed himself of in an instant. In other words, what modesty had employed a full year in raising, impudence demolished in twenty-four hours. Here Adams groaned a second time; but the ladies, who began to smoke him, took no notice. เ From the opening of the assembly till the end of Bellarmine's visit, Leonora had scarce once thought of Horatio; but he now began, though an unwelcome guest, to enter into her mind. She wished she had seen the charming Bellarmine and his charming equipage, before matters had gone so far. 'Yet why,' said she, 'should I 'wish to have seen him before; or what signifies it that 'I have seen him now? Is not Horatio my lover, almost เ my husband? Is he not as handsome, nay handsomer, 'than Bellarmine? Aye, but Bellarmine is the genteeler ' and the finer man; yes, that he must be allowed. Yes, yes, he is that certainly. But did not I, no longer ago 'than yesterday, love Horatio more than all the world? Aye, but yesterday I had not seen Bellarmine. But doth 'not Horatio doat on me, and may he not in despair 'break his heart if I abandon him? Well, and hath not 'Bellarmine a heart to break too? Yes, but I promised 'Horatio first; but that was poor Bellarmine's mis'fortune; if I had seen him first, I should certainly have 'preferred him. Did not the dear creature prefer me 'to every woman in the assembly, when every she was 'laying out for him. When was it in Horatio's power 'to give me such an instance of affection? Can he give me an equipage, or any of those things which 'Bellarmine will make me mistress of? How vast is the difference between being the wife of a poor counsellor, and the wife of one of Bellarmine's fortune! If I marry Horatio, I shall triumph over 'than one rival; but by marrying Bellarmine, I shall be 'the envy of all my acquaintance. What happiness! 6 over no more 'But can I suffer Horatio to die? for he hath sworn 'he cannot survive my loss: but perhaps he may not 'die: if he should, can I prevent it? Must I sacrifice myself to him? besides, Bellarmine may be as miserable 'for me too.' She was thus arguing with herself, when VOL. V. K |