with you is owing more to your brother's distinction of me than to your own hearts.'

LORD L. I see not why we may not talk to my brother directly on this head. Whence is it, that we are all three insensibly drawn in by each other's example to this distance between him and us?—It is not his fault. Did we ever ask him a question that he did not directly answer, and that without showing the least affectation or reserve?'

MISS GR. He came over to us all at once so perfect, after an eight or nine years absence, with so much power, and such a will to do us good, that we were awed into a kind of reverence for him.'

LADY L. 'Too great obligations from one side will indeed create distance on the other. Grateful hearts will always retain a sense of favours heaped upon them.'

DR. B. You would give pain to his noble heart, did he think that you put such a value upon what he has done. I do assure you, that he thinks he has hardly performed his duty by his sisters: and, as occasions may still offer, you will find he thinks But let me beg of you to treat him without reserve or diffidence; and that you would put to him all those questions which you would wish to be answered. You will find him, I dare say, very candid and very explicit.'

so.

MISS GR. That shall be my task when I next see him. But, dear Doctor Bartlett, if you love us, communicate to us all that is proper for us to see of the correspondence that passes between him and you.'

The doctor, it seems, bowed; but answered

not.

So you see, Lucy, upon the whole, that I have no great reason to build so much as my uncle, in his last letter, imagines I do, on the interest of

these ladies and my Lord L. with their brother. Two or three intricate affairs on his hands-One of them still in suspense-of which, for that reason, he makes a secret-He is not quite happy-greatly distinguished by the favour of worthy women:' Who would wonder at that?-But has paid dear for the distinction!-What can one say? What can one think? He once said himself, That his life was a various life; and that some unhappy things had befallen him. If the prudence of such a man could not shield him from misfortune, who can be exempted from it?-And from worthy women too?That's the wonder!-But is this Olivia one of the worthy women?-I fancy he must despise us all, I fancy he will never think of encumbering himself with one of a sex that has made him pay so dear for the general distinction he has met with from it. As to his politeness to us; a man may afford to show politeness to those he has resolved to keep at distance from his heart.

But, ah, Lucy!-There must be one happy wo-man whom he wishes not to keep at distance. This is the affair that hangs in suspense; and of which, therefore, he chooses to say nothing.

*

*

I have had the pleasure of a visit from my godfather Deane. He dined with us this day in his way to town. The ladies, Dr. Bartlett, and my Lord L. are charmed with him. Yet I had pain mingled with my pleasure. He took me aside, and charged me so home-He was too inquisitive. I never knew him to be so very urgent to know my heart. But I was frank; very frank: I should hardly have been excusable if I had not, to so good a man, and so dear a friend. Yet he scarce knew how to be satisfied with my frankness.

He will have it, that I look thinner and paler

VOL. II.

BB

than I used to do. That may very well be. My very soul, at times-I know not how I am-Sir Charles is in suspense too, from somebody abroad. From my heart I pity him. Had he but some faults; some great blemishes; I fancy I should be easier about him. But to hear nothing of him but what is so greatly praiseworthy, and my heart so delighted with acts of beneficence-And now my godfather Deane, at this visit, running on in his praises, and commending, instead of blaming me, for my presumptuous thoughts: nay, exalting me, and telling me, that I deserve him-that I deserve Sir Charles Grandison!-Why did he not chide me? Why did he not dissuade me?-Neither fortune nor merit answerable?-A man who knows so well what to do with fortune!-The Indies, my dear, ought to be his! What a king would be make! Power could not corrupt such a mind as his. Cæsar,' said Dr. Bartlett, speaking of him before Mr. Deane and all of us, was not quicker

to destroy than Sir Charles Grandison is to relieve.' Emily's eyes at the time ran over with joy at the expression; and, drying them, she looked proudly round on us all, as if she had said, 'This is my guardian!'

But what do you think, Lucy? My godfather will have it, that he sees a young passion in Miss Jervois for her guardian!-God forbid !-A young love may be conquered, I believe; but who shall caution the innocent girl? She must have a sweet pleasure in it, creeping, stealing upon her. How can so unexperienced a heart reject the indulgence? But, O my Emily! sweet girl! do not let your love get the better of your gratitude, lest it make you unhappy! and, what would be still more affecting to a worthy heart, make the generous object of a passion that can not be gratified, unhappy;

and for that very reason; because he cannot reward it! See you not already, that, with all his goodness, he is not quite happy? He is a sufferer from worthy women?-O my Emily, do not you add to the infelicity of a man who can make but one woman happy, yet wishes to befriend all the world'-But hush! selfish adviser! Should not Harriet Byron have thought of this in time?—Yet she knew not that he had any previous engagement to resist, or the object so meritorious: and may Death lay his cold hand upon her heart, before she become an additional disturbance to his! He knows not, I hope, he guesses not, though Doctor Bartlett has found me out as well as the sisters, that I am captivated, heart and soul, by his merits. May he never know it, if the knowledge of it would give him the shadow of uneasiness!

I owned to Mr. Deane, that my Lord L. and the ladies were warmly interested in my favour. 'Thank God for that!' he said. All must happen to his wish. Nay, he would have it, that Sir Charles's goodness would be rewarded in having such a wife; but what wife can do more than her duty to any husband who is not absolutely a savage? How then can all I could do reward such a man as this?

But, Lucy, don't you blush for me on reading this last passage of my writing? You may, since I blush myself on re-perusing it. 'For shame, Harriet Byron, put a period to this letter!—I will; nor subscribe to it so much as the initials of my

name.

LETTER XXXV.

SIR CHARLES GRANDISON TO DR. BARTLETT.

[INCLOSED IN THE PRECEDING.]

'Friday, March 17.

'LAST night I saw interred the remains of my worthy friend Mr. Danby. I had caused his two nephews and his niece to be invited; but they did not attend.

'As the will was not to be opened till the fumeral was over, about which the good man had given me verbal directions; apprehending, I believe, expostulations from me, had I known the contents; ! sent to them this morning to be present at the opening.

Their attorney, Mr. Sylvester, a man of cha racter and good behaviour, brought me a letter, signed by all three, excusing themselves, on very slight pretences, and desiring that he might be present for them. I took notice to him, that the behavour of his principals over-night and now, was neither respectful to the memory of their uncle, nor civil with regard to me. He honestly owned, that Mr. Danby having acquainted his two nephews, a little before he died, that he had made his will, and that they had very little to expect from him, they, who had been educated by his direction, and made merchants, at his expense, with hopes given them, that he would at his death do very handsomely for them, and had never disobliged him, could not be present at the opening of a will, the contents of which they expected to be so mor. tifying to them.

I opened it in presence of this gentleman.

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