-and from my heart acquit you, and as cordially condemn myself, if I have appeared in your eye to intend to raise my own character, at the expense of yours. Believe me, Charlotte, I had much rather, in a point of delicacy, that the brother should be found faulty than the sister: and let it pass, that I am so. And only tell me, in what way you would wish me to serve you?'

Miss GR. 'Pardon me, brother. You can add forgiveness to the other obligations under which I labour. I was petulant.'

SIR CH. I do; most cordially I do.'
MISS GR. (Wiping her eyes.)

you proceed, sir?'

SIR CH.
MISS GR.

But won't

At another opportunity, madam.' "MADAM!"-Nay, now you are indeed angry with me. Pray, proceed.'

SIR CH. I am not: but you shall allow me an hour's conversation with you in your dressingroom, when you please.'

MISS GR. 'No!-Pray, proceed. Every one here is dear to me. Every one present must hear either my acquittal or condemnation. Pray, sir, proceed.-Miss Byron, pray sit still.-Pray,' (for we were all rising to go out) keep your seats. I believe I have been wrong. My brother said, you must pity me in silence, if you found me faulty. Perhaps I shall be obliged to you for your pity.— Pray, sir, be pleased to acquaint me with what you know of my faults.'

SIR CH. My dear Charlotte, I have said enough to point your fault to your own heart. If you know it, that, I hope, is sufficient.-Do not imagine, my dear, that I want to control you- . but-' He stopt.

MISS GR. BUT what, sir?-Pray, sir- And she trembled with eagerness.

SIR CH.

'But it was not right to-And yet, I

wish that I were mistaken in this point, and my sister not wrong!'

MISS GR.

SIR CH.

Well, sir, you have reason, I sup

pose, to think-' There she stopt.

That there is a man whom you can

approve of notwithstanding-'

MISS GR. All I have said to the contrary. Well, sir, if there be, it is a great fault to have denied it.'

SIR CH. That is all I mean.-It is no fault for you to prefer one man to another. It is no fault in you to give this preference to any man, without consulting your brother. I proposed that you should be entirely mistress of your own conduct and actions. It would have been ungenerous in me, to have supposed you accountable to me, who had done no more than my duty by you. Dear Charlotte, do not imagine me capable of laying such a load on your free will: but I should not have been made to pronounce to Lord G. and even to the earl his father, (on their inquiries whether your affections were or were not engaged) in such a manner as gave them hopes of succeeding.'

MISS GR.
SIR CH.

Are you sure, sir?"

O my sister, how hard fought (now must I say?) is this battle!-I can urge it no fur ther. For your sake, I can urge it no further.' MISS GR. Name your man, sir!-'

SIR CH. Not my man, Charlotte.-Captain Anderson is not my man.'

He arose; and, taking her motionless hand, -pressed it with his lips: Be not too much dissturbed,' said he. I am distressed, my sister, for your distress-I think, more than I am for the er

.

ror.' And, saying this, bowing to her, he withdrew.

He saw and pitied her confusion. She was quite confounded. It was very good of him to withdraw, to give her time to recover herself. Lady L. gave her her salts. Miss Grandison hardly ever wanted salts before.

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O what a poor creature am I,' said she, even in my own eyes!-Don't despise me, Harriet.— Dr. Bartlett, can you excuse me for so sturdy a perseverance?-Forgive me, my lord!-Lady L. be indulgent to a sister's fault. But my brother will always see me in this depreciating light! “A battle hard fought," indeed! How one error, persisted in, produces another!'

When Sir Charles heard her voice, as talking, every one soothing and pitying her, he returned. She would have risen, with a disposition seemingly, as if she would have humbled herself at his feet: but he took her folded hands in one of his, and with the other drew a chair close to her, and sat down; with what sweet majesty, and mingled compassion in his countenance! Miss Grandison's consciousness made it terrible only to her-Forgive me, sir!' were her words.

'Dear Charlotte, I do. We have all something to be forgiven for. We pity others then most cordially, when we want pity ourselves. Remember only, in the cases of other persons, to soften the severity of your virtue.'

He had Mrs. Oldham in his thoughts, as we all afterwards concluded.

'We know not,' said he, to what inconveniences a small departure from principle will lead and now let us look forward. But first, had you rather show me into your dressing-room?'

MISS GR. I have now no wish to conceal any thing from the persons present. I will only withdraw for a few moments.'

She went out. I followed her. And then, wanting somebody to divide her fault with, the dear Charlotte blamed my nasty scribbling again : But for that,' said she, I should have told you all.'

And what, my dear, would that have done? returned I: That would not have prevented—'

No; but yet you might have given me your advice: I should have had the benefit of that; and, my confessions would have been, then, perhaps, aforehand with his accusations.-But forgive me, Harriet-'

'O my Charlotte,' thought I to myself, could you but rein in your charining spirit, a little, a very little, you would not have had two forgivenesses to ask instead of one.'

LETTER XXIX.

MISS BYRON. IN CONTINUATION.

MISS Grandison desired me to return to the company. I did. She soon followed me; took her seat; and, with an air of mingled dignity and con. cern, delivered herself after this manner.

If it be not too late, after a perseverance in error so obstinate, to reinstate myself in my brother's good opinion, dearer to me than that of the whole world besides, my ingenuousness shall make atonement for that error.'

SIR CH.
MISS GR.

I would spare my sister the-'

I will not be spared, sir.-Pray,

hear me. I would not, in order to extenuate my own faults, (I hope I have not many) seek to throw blame upon the absent; much less upon the everlastingly absent: and yet my brother's piety must not be offended, if I am obliged to say something that may seem to cast a shade on a memory-Be not hurt, sir-I will be favourable to that memory, and just to my own fault.-You, Harriet, would no more excuse me, than my brother, if I failed in either.'

I bowed and blushed. Sir Charles looked at me with a benign aspect.

My father,' proceeded she, thought fit to be, or to seem to be, displeased with something that passed between him and Lord L. on the application made by my lord to him for my sister.'

SIR CH. He was not willing, perhaps, that a treaty of marriage should be began but at his own 'first motion, however unexceptionable the man, or the proposal.'

MISS GR. 'Every one knows that my father had great abilities; and they were adorned with a vivacity and spirit, that, wherever pointed, there was no resisting. He took his two daughters to task upon this occasion; and being desirous to discourage in them, at that time, any thoughts of marriage, he exerted, besides his authority on this occasion, (which I can truly say, had due weight with us both) that vein of humour and raillery for which he was noted: insomuch that his poor girls were confounded, and unable to hold up their heads. My sister, in particular, was made to be ashamed of a passion, that surely no young woman, the object so worthy, ought to be ashamed of. My father also thought tit (perhaps for wise reasons) to acquaint us, that he designed for us but small fortunes and this depreciated me with my

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