ton's society when it was less improving, than he does now, that it is become really valuable; yet he often visits us. Miss Stanley now and then indulges me with her company, for a day or two. In these visits Lord Staunton happened to meet her two or three times. He was enchanted with her person and manners, and exerted every art and faculty of pleasing, which it must be owned he possesses. Though we would both have rejoiced in alliance with the excellent family at the Grove, through this sweet girl, I thought it my duty not to conceal from her the irregularity of my cousin's conduct in one particular instance, as well as the general looseness of his religious principles. The caution was the more necessary, as he had so much prudence and good breeding, as to behave with general propriety when under our roof; and he allowed me to speak to him more freely than any other person. When I talked seriously he sometimes laughed, always opposed, but was never angry.

"One day he arrived quite unexpect

edly

He

edly when Miss Stanley was with me. found us in my dressing-room reading together a Dissertation on the power of reliligion to change the heart. Dreading some levity, I strove to hide the book, but he took it out of my hand, and glancing his eye on the title, he said, laughing, "This is a foolish subject enough; a good heart does not want changing, and with a bad one none of us three have any thing to do." Lucilla spoke not a syllable. All the light things he uttered, and which he meant for wit, so far from raising a smile, increased her gravity. She listened, but with some uneasiness, to a desultory conversation between us, in which I attempted to assert the power of the Almighty to rectify the mind, and alter the character. Lord Staunton treated my assertion as a wild chimera, and said, "He was sure I had more understanding than to adopt such a methodistical notion; professing at the same time a vague admiration of virtue and goodness, which he said, bowing to Miss Stanley, were natural where they existed at all; that a good E 4 heart

heart did not want mending, and a bad one could not be mended, with other similar expressions, all implying contempt of my position, and exclusive compliment to her.

"After dinner, Lucilla stole away from a conversation which was not very interesting to her, and carried her book to the summerhouse, knowing that Lord Staunton liked to sit long at table. But his lordship missing her for whom the visit was meant, soon broke up the party, and hearing which way she took, pursued her to the summer-house. After a profusion of compliments, expressive of his high admiration, he declared his pas sion in very strong and explicit terms, and requested her permission to make proposals to her father, to which he conceived she could have no possible objection.

"She thanked him with great politeness for his favourable cpinion, but frankly told him, that though extremely sensible of the honour he intended her, thanks were all she had to offer in return; she earnestly desired the business might go no further, and that he would spare himself the trouble of an appli

application to her father, who always kindly allowed her to decide for herself, in a concern of so much importance.

"Disappointed, shocked, and irritated at a rejection so wholly unexpected, he insisted on knowing the cause. Was it his person? Was it his fortune? Was it his understanding to which she objected? She honestly assured him it was neither. His rank and fortune were above her expectations. To his natural advantages there could be no reasonable objection. Hel still vehemently insisted on her assigning the true cause. She was then driven to the necessity of confessing, that she feared his principles were not those of a man, with whom she could venture to trust her own.

"He bore this reproof with more patience than she had expected. As she had made no exception to his person and understanding, both of which he rated very highly, he could better bear with the charge brought against his principles, on which he did not set so great a value.

She had indeed wounded his pride, but not in the part where it was most vulnerable. 'If that be all,' said he gaily, the objection is at an end; your charming society will reform me, your influence will raise my principles, and your example will change my character.'

"What, my Lord," said she, her courage encreasing with her indignation, "this from you? From you, who declared only this morning that the work of changing the heart was too great for the Almighty himself? You do not now scruple to declare that it is in my power. That work which is too hard for omnipotence; your flattery would make me believe a weak girl can accomplish. No, my Lord, I will never add to the number of those rash women who have risked their eternal happiness on this vain hope. It would be too late to repent of my folly, after my presumption had incurred its just punishment."

"So saying, she left the summer-house with a polite dignity, which, as he afterwards told me increased his passion, while