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tricity of fome of his fentiments by urging his foreign education, and affirming that the knew he poffeffed the beft heart in the world. "Perhaps he "does," continued Mifs Evans; " but "people who wish well to any cause "feldom attempt to break down the "bulwarks that defend it." Her alarmed father eagerly inquired, if she suspected any thing deiftical in his principles.

"Thank God," returned Lucy, "none of my acquaintance are deifts "therefore I do not know in what man"ner they would act. But furely, my "dear fir, when religious truths are impreffed deeply upon a cultivated "mind, they must give a tincture to "our our ordinary converfation. Subjects "which we efteem facred are not dragged into table-talk controversy; "and the narratives of holy writ are

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"not degraded by being drawn into "a ludicrous parallel with the light But

events of the paffing moment.

"I am willing to allow that I may be "more fevere from being lefs accuf"tomed to the freedom of fashionable "manners; for I obferve my Geral"dine, who poffeffes the piety and the "purity of an angel, is not fhocked at "this fpecies of levity."

"Does not Mr. Fitzosborne appear "to fhew a very marked admiration of "the countefs?" inquired Mr. Evans.

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Every body must admire her," returned Lucy, evading a direct reply: "I "do not mean merely on account of "her perfonal charms, though he is "now lovelier than ever, but for her "patient fweetnefs and her dignified "refignation."

"When you ufe the term refigna"tion, my dear," interrupted Mr. Evans,

VOL. III.

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Evans, "you fhould confine it to fe"verer trials than thofe which your

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enchanting friend has yet been called "upon to endure. Though we have "often lamented the capricious inat"tention of her lord's behaviour, it is "only one of those leffer conflicts, by " which Providence mercifully prepares "us for the more excruciating ftrug

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gles that we muft all fuftain before "we are liberated from this world. "You know whofe fentiments I now (c repeat. The harmonious voice which

once gave them utterance is filent; 66 yet the will of Heaven calls for cheer"ful acquiefcence, and I obey."

Unwilling to deprefs her father at that moment, by repeating obfervations which might probably be merely the creatures of her own fancy, Mifs Evans dropped a tear to her mother's memory, and was filent.

CHAP. XXXIII.

Mark you this, Baffanio;

The Devil can cite fcripture for his purpose:
An evil foul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a filing cheek;
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

SHAKSPEARE.

MR. EVANS was not one of those fupine paftors who, contented with their own fecurity, forbear to warn their flock of the infidious approaches of the wolf. His daughter's obfervations determined him to watch Fitzofborne with fcrupulous attention and if any thing fhould happen to confirm his doubts, the hazard of being cenfured for impertinent interference would not deter him from flating to lady Monteith the danger of an intimacy

macy with a man whofe paffions were not fubjected by the reftraints which religion impofes.

Edward feemed rather to folicit than to fhun this fcrutiny. Some casual expreffions from fir William, and the turn which Mr. Evans generally gave to the converfation, convinced him, that his zeal to make profelytes had thrown him off his guard, and that, in order to fecure one convert, he must allay the fufpicions which a defire to gain many admirers had excited. He faw in Mr. Evans a man poffeffed of a fincere, zealous, well-informed mind, occafionally the dupe of its own excellence, fomewhat hafty in its conclufions, and difpofed to receive a few strong expreffions as a fair definition of character: to which was added, a confidence in its own attainments, not unfrequent in an educated perfon long eftranged from

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