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culated the chance of his being called out by a man, who, on fome previous occafions, had proved himself to be

Jealous of honour, fudden and quick in quarrel; Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth.

But the patience and humility which Edward exercised upon this occafion was as wonderful as his perfeverance. Let not the Reader conclude that I give him credit for thofe virtues; for it cannot be fuppofed that he would adopt qualities which he efteemed to be weak imperfections. He ufed them only as the means which were fanctified by the proposed end. Taught by his recent defeat to abstain from attack, he contented himself with barely attempting a defence, when Powerfcourt preffed him with fome powerful inference: always taking care that fomething in his expreffion, look, or manner, fhould

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fhould convey to the quick apprehenfion of Geraldine a hint of unfair treatment; an infinuation of his love of peace; and a complaint that his adversary began the debate, and that it was unjust to feek to deprive him of his own opinions, when he did not moleft others in the quiet enjoyment of their peculiar notions.

Lady Monteith loved fociety, and few people were better calculated than herself to enjoy and impart the namelefs delights of converfation. Whether we define it, according to the ideas of the fwan of Twickenham, to be "the feaft of reafon and the flow of foul;" or, perfonifying its exhilarating graces, describe it in the likenefs of Milton's Euphrofyne," buckfome, blithe, and debonaire," yet ftill the affociate of“ unreproved pleasure ;" in whichever shape the goddess prefides, the irritating fpirit

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of contradiction, and the fcowling genius of continual argument, must be profcribed admiffion, or the fweets of the mental banquet will be foured by fermentation. The relaxing mind cannot repose upon the bofom of confidence, and pour forth all its choiceft stores, when every expreffion rouses the clamour of oppofition. The dimpled fmile. of sportive mirth is too timid to encounter the auftere afpect of declamatory investigation.

Such were the reflections of Geraldine, who, driven by conjugal infeli-, city to feek amusement out of herself, had fondly hoped that the most refined focial pleasures would refult, from the, friends of her early youth meeting with, the accomplished intelligent Fitzofborne. She had anticipated the delights of li-, terary converfation, the corufcations of playful wit; and, while fhe enjoyed

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with fincere pleasure the profpect of her Lucy's happiness, fhe determined to divert herself with the little aukwardneffes which the prefence of a beloved object generally gives to the manner of a young woman poffeffed of a delicate fufceptible mind. Inftead of thefe expected luxuries, the demon of difpute took poffeffion of the dining-room and the faloon; accompanied their walks and rides, their fifhing-parties and mountain tours; and, inftead of leaving the mind of the countefs at liberty to entertain her guests with fomething enchantingly whimfical or negligently elegant, her anxiety was perpetually exercised to reprefs every topic of difcourfe which threatened contention.

Perhaps Geraldine overcharged this description. She was also mistaken in fixing the whole blame of this controverfial fpirit upon Henry. More accustomed

cuftomed to Edward's ftyle of converfation, and lefs aware of its tendency, he could at any time drop the gage of defiance without arrefting her attention, till the reply of his antagonist called her to divert the rifing ftorm. Her infenfibility of her own danger, and confequent ignorance of the confcientious motives which urged Mr. Powerscourt to violate the prefcribed rules of good breeding ftrictly adhered to in polished fociety, precluded her from framing any excuses in his juftification. That eternal gratitude which fhe had promised to preferve for the generous friend who had facrificed his own happiness to her's, imperceptibly abated, as the conviction that he had founded her hopes of connubial felicity on a wrong basis gathered strength. On the other hand, the recent fervices of Fitzofborne, and the marked contrast between him and her

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