and turned afide to conceal the ftrong emotion of his agitated heart. "You "are not ignorant, Henry," faid fir William," that my fortune is entirely "at my own disposal, and that all your " inheritance is an eftate of your father's, "fomewhat under a hundred a year."

"I know it, fir," answered Henry in a voice scarce audible; "I know too "how infinitely I am beholden to your "bounty, and that I could facrifice my "life to prove my gratitude."

"Pho! pho!" faid fir William, " a "fiddle-stick about gratitude and such "nonsense; talking about these things "is not to the purpose: I meant to "have been a greater friend to you than "I have been; but I fuppofe you have "fome reasons for your behaviour, and " so I shall only add that I wish you a "better offer."

He

He then left the room, while the af flicted Henry, wretched at the idea that he had offended the perfon whom of all others he most revered and esteemed, funk upon a fofa, and fell into a painful reverie on his paft conduct.,, His motives appeared fo laudable, that he could not upon retrofpection wish the deed undone; he only feared that his voice, his looks, his words, or his manner, had not fufficiently indicated the deep veneration which he felt in his

heart.

In a converfation which took place the fame morning between fir William and his daughter, the former animadverted on Henry's unaccountable conduct in terms more acrimonious than he had ever before used. As a proof of the uncommon fweetnefs of Miss Powerfcourt's difpofition, fhe appeared not only to forgive the affront, but fhe even

pleaded

pleaded for the bold refufer with all that enchanting eloquence by which the had ever been accuftomed to influence her father's mind.

"I cannot, my dear fir," faid fhe, "condemn Henry's behaviour; on the "contrary, I think it proceeded from "that inviolable regard for honour and fincerity which you tell me has been " from time immemorial the character"iftic of our family. A mean inte"refted person would have thought that

your predilection in his favour gave "him an abfolute right to treat me as he

pleased; he would never have confi"dered whether I was the wife he would "voluntarily have preferred. Looking

only at the greatness of my dowry, "he would at all times have filenced "the compunctions of his confcience, "by remembering that I was obtruded "upon his choice, when perhaps his

"heart

"heart felt a fecret preference for an

" other."

While Mifs Powerfcourt fpoke, her look, voice, and manner, were uncommonly beautiful and impreffive. Sir William gazed upon her with inexpreffible delight; and when she stopped, he only observed, that he thought there were few young men in the kingdom who would not have been overjoyed at fuch a propofal.

"Parental partiality," resumed Geraldine," muft not decide on such an

important point; but let not my dear"eft father, through his fondness for "me, fwerve from that noble integrity "which has ever been the rule of his "actions. From motives of delicacy to "myself I muft entreat that the events "of this morning may make no dif«ference in your opinion of Henry. "Indeed I fhould think that, as the

"highly-liberal plan you had formed in "his favour is now fruftrated, this is "the propereft time to give him the independence you defign for him. Sup"pose you immediately refign the Me"rionethfhire eftate. It is but five hun"dred a-year you know; and if such a "defalcation in your revenue fhould any way derange your customary charities,

permit me, my dear father, to furren"der part of that very ample allowance "which you give me. It really is much "more than I know how to fpend; it "only makes me thoughtless and extra

་

vagant; and I am fure that abridging "it would he a good moral leffon.”

"Speak no more, child, upon this fub“ject,” replied fir William; "nobody "fhall fay that I brought a young fel"low up, and then let him ftarve because he was not willing to marry my daughter; but there is no necef

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