However honourable she supposed it to
be, she had discernment enough to foresee that vanity or interest,
co-operating with the levity of youth, might one day deprive her of
her lover, and she was too proud to give him any handle of exulting
at her expense. Although he was received by her with the most
distinguished civility, and even an intimacy of friendship, all
his solicitations could never extort from her an acknowledgment of
love: on the contrary, being of a gay disposition, she sometimes
coquetted with other admirers, that his attention thus whetted
might never abate, and that he might see she had other resources
in case he should flag in his affection.
This being the prudential plan on which she acted, it cannot be
supposed that she would condescend to inquire into the state of
his thoughts when she saw him thus affected; but she, nevertheless,
imposed that task on her cousin and confidant, who, as they walked
together in the park observed that he seemed to be out of humour.
When this is the case, such a question generally increases the
disease; at least it had that effect upon Peregrine, who replied
somewhat peevishly, "I assure you, madam, you never were more
mistaken in your observations.
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