"In the course of this correspondence, he became acquainted with
some of her female relations, and, among the rest, with a young
lady, so eminently adorned with all the qualifications of mind and
person, that, notwithstanding all his philosophy and caution, he
could not behold and converse with her, without being deeply smitten
with her charms. He did all in his power to discourage this dangerous
invasion in the beginning, and to conceal the least symptom of it
from her relation; he summoned all his reflection to his aid, and,
thinking it would be base and dishonest to cherish any sentiment
repugnant to the affection which he owed to a mistress who had
placed such unlimited confidence in him, he attempted to stifle
the infant flame, by avoiding the amiable inspirer of it. But the
passion had taken too deep a root in his heart to be so easily
extirpated; his absence from the dear object increased the impatience
of his love: the intestine conflict between that and gratitude
deprived him of his rest and appetite. He was, in a short time,
emaciated by continual watching, anxiety, and want of nourishment,
and so much altered from his usual cheerfulness, that his mistress,
being surprised and alarmed at the change, which, from the symptoms,
she judged was owing to some uneasiness of mind, took all imaginable
pains to discover the cause.
Pages:
1350
1351
1352
1353
1354
1355
1356
1357
1358
1359
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
1372
1373
1374