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they do get to Portland-place before "us, my housekeeper is the civileft, "beft-bred creature you ever faw, infinitely fuperior to the myrmidons near "Kinloch-caftle. She will make them very fine courte fics, and they will "glide about and get over their first "wonder before we reach town." "But will that be perfectly refpect"ful and accommodating?"

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"My dear Geraldine, if you take "fo much pains to accommodate other people, they will foon give you a furfeit of courtesy. My good aunt "in particular; fhe has had her own "way years enough; and for fear fhe "should take up any idea of managing

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me, I fhall fhew her at firft that I "mean to please myself, and never care "what he or the world think about it."

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The excurfion to Oxford being now as irrevocably fixed as the ancient laws of the Medes and Perfians, lady Monteith privately dispatched her own fervant to town with the best apology her invention could frame to her expected guests.

On entering the feat of the Mufes,

"Mother of arts

"And eloquence, native to famous wits, "Or hospitable, in her sweet recefs,

City or fuburban, ftudious walks and shades ;"

the countefs felt a refined pleasure, uninterrupted by any painful recollections, till her lord, as he hurried her from the Theatre to the Ratcliffe Library, fuddenly exclaimed, "Have you not some "curiofity of your own to exhibit at "Oxford, a quondam lover? How "you blush, you little tyrant! I must "fee him.-I once intended to cut the "fellow's throat; but I am quite in

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charity with him now. Where is "he?

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"he? we will have him with us at the "hotel this evening."

"Indeed, my lord,” stammered lady Monteith, "I am afraid he cannot come. He is very ill."

"Ill!-O! then we will go and fee "him. What college does he belong "to?-Come, we can go to his rooms "first."

"Not without fome previous no"tice," said the countefs. "His complaint is on his fpirits, and we "fhall only agitate him. It is a low " fever."

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"A low fever!" replied his lordship with a loud laugh. "A ftrong love-fit 8 you mean. You fpirited him off very cleverly, Geraldine, and just in, "time to fave his life; for I had written 66 a challenge for him. I wonder, by"the-bye, why you came to refuse him; "for he must be one of your own ac"commodating

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commodating fort of people, to give 66 up a charming girl to a stranger, and "afterwards fall fick about her himself. "We will have him; the fight of you, " and a bottle or two of claret, will cure "his low fever."

"You are all in the wrong," replied lady Monteith, who could fcarcely fummon fufficient fpirits to parry this attack; "but all your manoeuvres shall "not make me gratify your curiofity

by explaining this enigma. I will "write to Henry, and afk him to give " us the meeting; but pray, remember, "that he really is unwell, and also naturally timid and referved. Spare your raillery therefore; for, though you will be wide of the mark, his "fenfibility is fo acute, that it may give him pain."

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Lord Monteith, with truth, declared that he never defigned to give any one uneafine fs.

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uneafinefs. On returning to the inn her ladyfhip dispatched the following

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letter:

"TO.HENRY POWERSCOURT, Efq.

"It is impoffible to pass through "Oxford without feeling a folicitude " for the health of my valuable friend; " and if it be fufficiently restored to "bear the exertion, your company this << evening would afford me peculiar pleasure. Lord Monteith joins anxiously in this wish. His impatience "to be introduced to one, on whofe "merits he has often heard my father "expatiate, would have carried him to "C your apartments; but I doubted how "far you might be able to bear his "vifit. Come to us, my dear Henry, "if you poffibly can; perhaps my

I's playful vivacity may enliven
To fee you well and happy is

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