admiration which fir Richard Vernon had paid to her at the opera, and to which the incidental circumftance of her being in remarkably good fpirits that evening might contribute. He scarcely wondered at his friend's alarm, when he confidered the free notions of the age, the baronet's libertine principles, the impetuofity of lord Monteith's tem per, and his extreme fufceptibility in a point of honour, which in his opinion probably proceeded from the warmth of his conjugal attachment. He begged pardon for too deeply fympathizing in her uneafinefs, but owned that his feelings were never proof against the magic influence of female tears. The term " injured," which he perceived had alarmed her, was heedlefsly uttered, without any reference, at leaft any defigned one, unless it alluded to thofe illiberal flanderers who attempted to

afperfe

afperfe a character which he verily believed was the only exception to that general careleffness of reputation too ftrongly characteristic of the manners of the present race of married ladies.

Calumny, my dear lady Monteith," continued he, " is now confidered as "the test of fashion; and, instead of fhrinking from its peftilential attack, "C even women of virtue conceive a flan"derous paragraph in a morning paper "to be a kind of paffport to celebrity; "and, pleafed with becoming objects "of general attention, they wait very "patiently for time to confute what was "untrue in the report. Your extreme

delicacy (for now that you are a little "recovered I cannot help remarking "that it is too exquifitely fufceptible) "and the peculiarity of your lord's dif

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pofition make me fee the confequences "of this affair in a more ferious light "than

" than I should otherwife do: but as I "am afraid that neither of you will ever "practise the philofophy which I fhould "affume on this ridiculous occafion, "I can only fay, that I fhall be ready to pursue any plan you shall fuggeft for " my conduct. Come, clear that pen"five brow; and be convinced, that "Monteith may fee other men admire you without fuppofing that you en"courage their addreffes."

This fpeech had the defired effect. It convinced the countess that fhe ought to conceal from her lord every circumftance in her own behaviour which excited the animadverfions of others; and while her agitated fpirits were somewhat confoled by the hope that his displeasure was now wholly confined to Vernon, fhe faw the neceffity of extreme caution, left it should ultimately point at her. Her apprehen

fions of fome criminal intention in Fitzofborne's paffionate addrefs were tranfient. The extreme audacity and guilt annexed to the bare idea of his having formed an illicit attachment, and the abfolute impoffibility of his even boping for fuccefs, perfuaded her, that his paffionate language was only, as he affirmed it to be, the unpremeditated sympathy of fincere friendship; and fhe now blushed at her own indelicacy in doubting, though but for a moment, the rectitude of his heart.

Efteem and confidence are never fo powerful as at the moment of removed fufpicion. She wanted an adviser and confidant. Who could feem so proper to perform that office as the fagacious fentimental Edward? The firft fcheme which lady Monteith propofed to stop the circulation of the flanderous tale was, that Fitzofborne fhould immediately

ately leave the family. The arch-tempter fignified his perfect acquiefcence; but with deference ftated, that in his opinion fuch an apparent coincidence with the prejudice of malevolence would tend to confirm its cenfure; and to his repeated advice to treat the whole ftory with indifference and bravado, lady Monteith oppofed her own poignant feelings, which would never permit her to go into company while confcious that a whifper was circulated to her difadvantage. At length a compromise was agreed to between the oppofite opinions, and Geraldine determined to take leave of the gay world with more than philofophic distaste of its levity and uncharitable afperity. Forgetting that retirement had fometimes fuggested the wifh of introducing her brilliant talents to the notice of more accurate obfervers, envy, hatred, and detraction which impeded

the