Puslapio vaizdai
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of Sir Phelim O'Connaught, a very perfonable and very affiduous Irish gentleman of good family, and unqueftionable honour. Though lady Arabella had protested that the never would furrender to any thing beneath a coronet, Sir Phelim's addreffes were fo perfectly rhapfodical, that her heart feemed to flutter, when at this critical period its tranquillity was re-established by the appearance of fome very ungenteel companyI mean, a couple of sheriff's officers. Sir Phelim was fo fhocked at the audacity of fuch low villains intruding upon the haunts of gentlemen, that he was never feen abroad after their arrival. It afterwards appeared, that his attachment was not so perfectly difinterested as has been fuppofed; for that he had acquired fome knowledge of the difpofal of lady Madelina's jointure.

Lady

Lady Arabella joined in the laugh against her quondam adorer, and declared, that though certainly he was very fpecious, she had found him out in an inftant, and was determined to divert herself with the fellow's ridiculous ways. She also added, that this was another proof how prudent it was in ladies of fortune to conceal their expectations, for avowed wealth was always expofed to degrading folicitations.

The winter campaign opened with eclat. A noble earl, whofe affairs were a little deranged, laid fiege in form, and the contest seemed to predict a happy iffue, had not lady Madelina put the young general prematurely to the rout by inquiring after his rent-roll. Poor Arabella felt a little piqued; but no mat ter;-these were her happiest days ;fhe loved liberty, detefted reftraint, and

danced,

danced, laughed, and visited more than

ever.

The defection of the noble earl was repaired by the attendance of two ad-, mirers, a viscount and a private gentleman, who ftarted in the career of honourable love at the fame inftant. Hitherto her lady fhip had been rather unfortunate in the character of her adorers; but her indecifion in the present inftance proved that she was actuated by motives widely different from the defire of connubial happiness. Lord Fitzosborne was an emaciated victim to licentious purfuits; Mr. Stanley was a youth of great promife, educated under the auspices of a worthy father. The aim of the former was to repair his fhattered fortune, and to gratify his selfish vanity by exhibiting to the world a fine young woman in the character of his wife. The latter fought domeftic tranquillity: the beauty

beauty of lady Arabella had caught his eye; her reported expectations far exceeded what his father would require in pecuniary affairs; and, fuppofing that a young woman muft imbibe every virtue under the auspices of a perfon of lady Madelina's strict decorum, he called her levity innocent gaiety, her affectation fprightliness of manner; and, fincerely worshipping the image he had fet up, he ardently folicited his charmer's heart. Though my discoveries have enabled my fagacious readers to conclude, that the unfortunate Stanley was in pursuit of a nonentity, an impaffioned lover could not perceive that nothing but the adverfe weight of a coronet prevented the nodding scale from preponderating in his favour. True to the first object of her youthful defires, even the unworthinefs of the giver could not in her idea invalidate the gift. But the progress of

my

my history now calls me from the portraiture of fashionable love to the definition of polite friendship.

Though lady Arabella had very little of the fentimental in her character, she enjoyed the bleffing of a bofom friend. Her acquaintance with Mifs Campley commenced at her firft arrival in London. They dreffed in the fame uniform, went to the fame parties, laughed at the fame quizzes, and flirted with the fame beaus. But Mifs Campley, being the uncontrolled mistress of her own actions, foared to a character which fome reftrictions of Lady Madelina's prevented her niece from adopting; I mean, that of a dasher. She drove four in hand, laid wagers, ran in debt, played at Pharo, and, though infinitely inferior to her friend in beauty, certainly laid claim to greater taste and spirit.

As

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