be fixed on for the marriage ceremony; faying, that he would in the mean time order the fettlements to be made according to the terms formerly propofed.

She expreffed a defire that the ceremony might be poftponed at least till the return of Signora Sporza from Rome; one reason of Zeluco's impatience was, that it might be over before her return; dreading a delay, or perhaps a total prevention from that quarter; but, without giving any hint of fuch fears, he earneftly infifted on the ceremony's taking place immediately after the fettlements, were ready; urging that Signora Sporza would be moft agreeably furprised to find that all was over at her return; and that it would give him double pleasure to falute her on their first meeting, not as a perfon intended to be, but who actually was, his relation. Madame de Seidlits agreed to leave it to Laura's decifion, promifing, at Zeluco's request, not to write to Signora Sporza till the point fhould be determined.

He knew that Laura wifhed the cere mony fhould be private; he directed Far ther Pedro to hint to her that this would be impoffible after Signora Sporza's return, whofe decided tafle for parade and oftentation they all knew,

Laura was more eafily brought to agree to an early day than was expected: having already given her confent; defpifing all affected delays, and wishing to have every thing conducted with as much privacy as the nature of the cafe would admit, the decided for the earliest day that had been mentioned. Befides the motives already mentioned, there was another which influenced this unfortunate young lady more. than all the reft; fhe felt her original reluctance to any connexion with Zeluco threatening to return; and fhe wished the ceremony over, that it might be no longer in her own power to fhrink from what The now thought both her duty and honour required her to perform.

The

The writings were prepared, and an early day appointed for the private performance of the marriage ceremony.

During this interval, the heart of Laura, endowed with the moft exquifite fenfibility, and formed for the 'pureft and most delicate fenfations of love, was not agitated with thofe tender fears and pleafing emotions which fill the virgin's bofom at her approaching union with the beloved object of her wishes; fhe, unhappy maiden! felt an hourly increafing averfion to the man to whom she was deftined to plight her faith, which all the ftruggles of her reafon could not fubdue. Her refolution however enabled her, in a great measure, to conceal what her reafon could not con-quer, and her efforts for this purpose rendered the pangs of her heart the more

acute.

The night preceding the day of her marriage fhe was difturbed with gloomy forebodings, distracted with horrid dreams, and with terrors of a confufed nature, which darted like lightning in a black and ftormy

formy night acrofs her clouded imagina

tion.

She arofe early, endeavoured to banish thofe difmal apprehenfions from her breast, and affumed as much fercnity as the poffibly could at the approach of her mother, who imputed the marks of difturbance that fill remained in the countenance of Laura to no uncommon caufe; yet all the endearments of maternal affection which Madame de Seidlits lavished on her daughter, were fcarcely able to keep up her spirits: two or three times the trembling heart of Laura was ready to break through all reftraint, avow her fad forebodings, and beg that this frightful marriage might be postponed for ever. She was prevented by the fatisfaction fhe perceived it gave her mother, and by the thoughts of the light in which fuch fickle and childish conduct muft put her in the opinion of others.

The marriage ceremony was performed privately, and Zeluco remained that night at the houfe of Madame de Seidlits.

CHA P. LV.

All claffic learning lofe on claffic ground.

POPE,

A DAY or two before, Laura's marriage took place at Naples, Signora Sporza received a letter from Germany, giving her an account of the fevere lofs which Madame de Seidlits would fuftain by the bankruptcy. This letter, directed to her at Naples, had gone in courfe of poft to that city, was there detained for fome days by the neglect of her fervant, and now conveyed to her the firft account fhe had ever had of an event which gave her very great pain. She well knew the limited boundaries of Madame de Seidlits's finances; that the money which the depended on for paying fome preffing debts at Naples was in this banker's hands, and of courfe that The would be put to immediate and very

great