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but he could not get her to open her lips; Lady Aubrey, therefore, perceiv ing her presence to be a restraint upon her, left the room.

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"What is the matter, Neuraly, fays Nelfon, what have they done to you; what is this that you have taken to heart?""Don't you know, fays the? Are not you fenfible that my joy and forrow can have but one caufe? You faid you would be my friend, but furely you treat me with unkindness: I live but in you, and you leave me to die. Yet I know this is not your fault, they make you do it; and they would make me renounce and forget you; they reproach and terrify me. I ask but one favour of you, faid the, throwing herself on her knees before him, and that is, to tell me who I offend by loving you, what duty I vio- e late, and what misfortune I produce? Is it poffible there can be any laws fo unjult and cruel as to prohibit me from making the moft worthy ufe of my heart and understanding? Muft I love nobody in the world! and if I may love, can I make a better choice?"

"My dear Nouraly, faid Nelson, my D friendship for you is fincere and tender in the highest degree; it would be unjust not to let you know it."

confiders you as his other felf, and he has confided you to me in his abfence, wishing no happiness at his return but that of making you his wife." "This, then, faid Nourally, with a lock of fatisfaction, is the impediment to my having you; but make yourself eafy; there is an end of it."

"How do you mean, faid Nelfon?" "Why, faid Neuraly, I here folemnly fwear to you that I will never marry Blandford: It is impoffible, and BlanÏford himfelf will confefs it; I revere B him as a father, he has no right to require more, nor have I more to give : It is not in our power to love whom we will, and what is not in our power can never be our duty; much lefs is it our duty to pretend a love that we do not feel, and confent to a violation, by furrendering the perfon without the heart. We are difpofed of by neceffity and not by choice: Nature has given you graces that compel me to love, and has given me a foul adapted to feel all their power." "Alas, faid Nelfon, how much have I to answer for to my friend !" "Of what, faid Nouraly, can your friend complain ? what has he loft? what have you taken from him? I never loved him but as a parent, and as a parent I love him ftill I love you as myfelf, nay ftill better, and thefe paffions are by no means incompatible. But Blandford has made a depofit of me in your hands as his property, it is not you but he that is unjuft." Alas, faid Nefon, it is I that oblige you to reclaim what you have taken from him; you would be his if you was not mine, and the guardian is the ravisher:" "Think more equitably, faid Nouraly, I was my own, and I am now your's; this right could be transferred only by myfelf, and I have transferred it to you. You give Friendship prerogatives to which it has no right; and then you exercise them as delegated to you. What is it to me whether Elandford injures me in perfon, or by a fubGftitute; whether you or he deprive me of my liberty I am equally a flave, You facrifice nature itself to friendfhip, nay more, you facrifice love; but has love no rights among you? have you no law in favour of the feeling mind? have you no principle that is violated by inflicting mifery upon thofe that love, that mifery to which a love for thofe that injure alone renders them obnoxious. Her emotion here topped her voice, and almost her breath; Nelson, who faw her in danger

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You revive me, fays Nouraly, you now talk reafon." But, faid Nelson, though I should think myself the hap pieft man in the world to be the ob ject of your choice, yet it is a happi nefs to which I have no right, and which I must not confent to enjoy." "Alas, faid Nouraly, I do not underftand you." "When my friend confided you to my care he was dear to you, faid Nelfon." "So he is still, replied Nouraly.' You had placed F your happiness, faid Nelfon, in him;"

I thought it was there, faid Noura y." "You loved him, faid Nelson, more than any other perfon in the world:" "Ah, faid Nouraly, but that was before I knew you." But, fays Nelfon, your deliverer, Blandford, loves you, and he is, befides, your benefactor, the perfon to whom you was conaded by a dying father, and therefore he has a right to be loved by you," "The benefits I have received from bim, fays Nouraly, are ever prefent to my thoughts, and the love that I bore to my father I have transferred to him. Very well, faid Nelfon, let me then inform you that he has refolved to unite you to him by a tie yet more ender and more facred than libera

and gratitude can ever form. He

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ftill more amiable, and more dispɔsed to love me than before, by your example and inftruction.'

Nelfon fent this letter to his fifter, read it fays he, in a note that inclofed it, and let it alfo be read by Nouraly, what a leffon is it for me, and what a reproach to her?

It is then all over faid Neuraly, when the had read this letter, I never can be Nelfon's; but let him not expect to become another's. The liberty of lov Bing him, is what I can never give up. Having taken her refolution, her mind acquired fome degree of ferenity, to which Nelfon's was wholly a franger. He spent his days and nights in a perpetual ftruggle between duty and inclination, his duty always prevailing, though his inclination loft none of its ftrength.

of fuffocation, and had not time to
call her fifter, made hafte to untye the
ribbands that traitened her breaft,
and though fear rendered him at first
infenfible to the beauties that he unco- A
vered, yet the moment the revived he
felt all their force: He caught her in
his arms, and feeling herself pressed
to his bofom, fhe looked up with a
ftart of love and joy. In this fituati-
on, his virtue for a moment, was over-
borne. "Live, fays he, my dear
Nouraly!" "Do you with me to live,
faid the, tenderly? then you must
with me to love." "Ah! no, faid
he, I should then be unfaithful to
friendship, and unworthy of life. My
friend, alas, forefaw and foretold my
danger, but I defpifed his caution,
and confided too much in my own
ftrength. Pity me, my dear Nouraly;
fuffer me to fly from you, and conquer
myself." "You with me then to die,
faid Nouraly," and the conflict of her
mind returning, the fainted, and funk
down at his knees. He thought her
dying, and was about to catch her in
his arms, but his fifter juft then com-
ing into the room, he drew back:
"Take care of her, faid he, it is fit D
that I only fhould die." He then re-
tired and left them together.

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When Nouraly came again to herfelf, fhe asked eagerly what was become of Nefon, and was at first greatly afflicted to hear that he had left the Houfe: A little reflection, however, E gave her new comfort and new hope. She had difcovered, by a thousand incidents, that her love was returned with equal tenderness and ardour; she therefore refolved, when Blandford came back, to tell him all that had happened, believing him to be too juit and too generous to make a bad ufe of his power

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Soon after Nelfon's return to the country, he received a letter from his friend, to acquaint him that he was coming home: "I hope fays he, in the conclufion of his letter, than in lefs than three months I (hall be again united to all that I hold dear in the world; you must forgive me if I con- G nect you with the amiable and tender Nouraly. My heart, which was long yours alone, is now divided between you and her. It gives me the greatest pleasure to reflect, that I fhail owe the improvement of her mind to the care of you and your fifter; that love will H be indebted to friendship; that I fhall poffefs in that dear girl, a benefaction of yours, and that the will be made

It was not poffible that nature fhould long fultain this conflict without inju ry, he lost his chearfulness, his appetite, and his reft, a flow fever came on, which, without any violent fymptoms, filently and flowly undermined the foundations of life.

In the mean time Blandford was expected every day, and it was neceffary to conceal from him the mischief that had happened in his abfence? This however could not be done if Nouraly could not be perfuaded to diffemble, and who could perfuade her to diffemble on this occafion but Nelfon.

He came then once more to London, but fo altered that he could fcarcely be known. At the fight of him, his fifter was overwhelmed with grief and apprehenfion, and Nouraly was ftill more fenfibly affected; he endeavoured however, to perfuade them he was well, but this effort only encreased his diforder, and it was at length fo violent, that he could bear up under it no longer. This produced a new contest between Lady Juliet and Nouraly. Nouraly would not itir from his bed-fide, and infifted that they should permit her to attend and watch by him: At length, however, they got her away, in pity to her and prudence to him, but he was not able to take the rest which they intended her, she spent the whole night in creeping about the apartment of the fick, or fitting fixed like a statue at the door, with tears in her eyes, her foul upon her lips, and her ear attentive to the least noife, which terrified her like the cry of fire.

Nelfon perceived that his filter fuffered her to see him with great unwillingness, Do not afflict her, fays he,

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it will answer no purpofe; this is no time for severity; it is by gentleness and forbearance only that you can hope to do good."

Nouraly, faid he, one day when no body but his fifter was prefent," my A dear friend you would give fomething to have me well, would not you,"

O'yes faid Nouraly. I would give even my life.' "You may cure me faid Nelson, at a cheaper rate. Our prejudices are perhaps unjuft, and our principles cruel, yet fuch as they are, an honest man is always a flave to B them. Blandford and I have been friends from our childhood, he depends upon me with the fame confi dence that he would do on himself, and the regret that I feel at having deprived him of a heart that he intrufted to my keeping is every day C bringing me nearer to the grave; you may judge of the truth of what I fay by my condition. I have now difcovered to you the flow poison which is destroying me, and you alone can apply an antidote. I do not require it of you, you are free to act as you pleafe, but if you do not cure me, I must die. Blandford will be here in a few days, and if, when he arrives, he fhould difcover the alienation of your mind, if you refufe him that hand which but for me you would have given him, be affured that I cannot long furvive his misfortune and my own remorse. Confult your own heart, my dear girl, and if you wish that I fhould live, reconcile me to myfelf, and juftify me to my friend."

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deceive your friend? If I muft feigri, who fhall inftruct me in the art? "You have no need to feign, faid Nelfon; I have not yet been fo unfortunate as to extinguish gratitude, efteem, and a tender friendship in your mind. These fentiments are due to your benefactor, and they are sufficient for your husband, and he will not difcover the want of any thing more As to that inclination, of which he cannot be the object, this you ought to facrifice to him, and conceal from him; that which would hurt him if he fhould know it, he must never know; and that truth which would be fatal to his peace, must make filence its afylum."

Lady Aubrey now thought it high time to fhorten this painful fcene, and and take Nouraly with her. She left therefore made a pretence to retire,

no method untried to footh and comfort her, but the funk into a deep filent melancholy, which, though it admitted no confolation, was yet tenderly fenfible of the attempts to give it.

Blandford at length arrived, and Nelson, feeble and declining as he was, went to meet him at his landing. They embraced each other with great tenderness, but Blandford could not forbear to exprefs his aftonishment and concern at the appearance of his friend. Nelfon, however, made light of it: "I have been ill, faid he, but I E am now getting well again. I have, once more the pleafure to fee you,and joy is a good restorative. I am not, however, the only one that has fuffered in your abfence. Your pupil is a little altered in her perfon, the air of our climate, perhaps, does not agree with her. She has, however, greatly improved her mind, and it fhe can be recovered from the languor that has a little faded her beauty, you will poffefs a woman to whom nature bas denied nothing that the could give.”

"Oh my dear friend, faid Nouraly, live and difpofe of me as you will." In this facrifice of love to friendship her folicitude for Nelfon made her F wholly forget herfelf; but after a long paufe, which gave her time for reflection, the found that she had taxed herself beyond her power. How, fays he, can I give a heart that is full of him whom I love, to him whom I love not ?' "In a virtuous mind, faid Nelfon, the fenfe of duty will fur- G

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mount all difficulties. You will no longer think of being mine when you know it to be impoffible. It will coft you fome pain, without doubt, but you will have fome comfort in thinking that it faved my life." Well, faid Nourely, you fhall then facrifice your victim; I may groan, but I will obey: Yet how can you, whofe very heart is expreffed in every action and look, how can you, who are truth itlf, urge me to put on a disguise to

Blandford, after this preparation, was not furprised to fee Nouraly pale and languishing; but it touched him

with the moft fenfible concern. "Providence, fays he, feems to allay my happiness as a punishment for my impatience under the duties that kept me away. I am, however, once more at my own difpofal; I am once more rettored to myself and to my country, to friendship and to love." The word love threw Nouraly into confution, and Blandford perceived it. My friend, fays he, fhould have prepared you for this declaration," I am not a fran.

Ber

ger, faid Nourally, to your goodness, but can I approve of its excess ?' "This, fays Blandford, is a language that favours too much of the European politeness; but let you and me, my dear Nouraly, renounce it. I have known the time when, if I had asked you whether you would be mine by the dearest and tendereft tye, you would, with a most honeft and amiable fimplicity, have anfwered me yes, or no. Treat me now with the fame franknefs. I love you, my dear girl, but I love you fhould be happy; your infelicity will always be mine." Nel fon looked at Nouraly with a beating heart, and did not dare anticipate her anfwer even in thought.

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beauty, fometimes fainting in his arms, and fometimes fupplicating at his feet, without once yielding to defire, or relinquishing his refolution, was not poffible to human nature. It A is therefore no reproach to Nelson, that in this ftruggle his virtue was every moment forlaking him: He perceived it, and wished only to fave himself by flight. "Leave me, said he, my dear unhappy girl, I am not a ftone, but have the tender fenfibility of a man: I have a feeling and impaffioned heart which you are every moment tearing to pieces. Difpofe of yourself and of me as you will; yet leave me at all events, and let me die ftill faithful to my friend." And can I, faid Nouraly, determine to do what you will not furvive? You must at least promife me to live, if not for me, for a fifter, whofe love for you is fcarce lefs than mine.' "If I should make you fuch a promife, faid Nelson, I should certainly deceive you; not that I have the leaft thought of dying by my own hand, but I muft die either by remorse or grief. You fee already the fatal effects of difappointed love; and if to gratify my paffion I fhould violate my mind, that fhame which I now feel by anticipation, would foon hide me from reproach in the grave." "Does your confcience then, faid Nouraly, suffer no violence by the violence you do to me?" "You are at liberty, replied Nelfon, to act as you please; I require nothing of you; I do not fo much as pretend to know what you ought to do, but I know what I ought to do but too well, and I will endeavour to fulfill my duty."

"I hesitated, faid the to Blandford, from a diffidence like your own : While I confidered you only as my C friend, as a kind of fecond father, I faid to myself, He will be content with a filial tenderness and respect; but if the name of husband is joined with others already fo facred, what is there more that you have not a right to expect? Have I that to give which it will be my duty to bestow?" "How amiable, fays he, is this modefty! what D a grace does it give to every other virtue! Yes, my dear Nouraly, all your duties will be fulfilled if you return the tenderness I feel for you. Thy image has been ftill prefent wherever I went, my foul ftili turned towards thee when half the globe was between us, and I taught the name of Nouraly to the echoes of another world."

Then turning to Lady Aubrey," Madam, fays he, you muit forgive me if I envy your having poffeffed her fo long; it is now high time that I fhould myfelf watch over that health which is fo dear to me: I leave Nelfon's to your care, in which I am fcarcely lefs in terested than in her's. My dear friends, let us live and be happy: You have taught me to fet a value upon life, and I have often been made fenfible of my attachment to it, when my duty required me to expofe it to danger."

It was at length agreed that the marriage of Nouraly with Blandford fhould take place in about a week; in the mean time fhe continued with Lady Aubrey, and Nelfon determined not to leave her till the ceremony was paft: His fpirits, however, were quite exhaufted by the efforts he made to keep hers from finking. To fupprefs his own tears while he wiped away thofe of enamoured innocence and

Such were the converfations that opened every fource of anguifh when they were alone, but the presence of Blandford ftill aggravated their distress, He visited them every day, and was continually making fome propofal, with a view to fecure the happiness of Nouraly as far as it was poffible against all contingencies. "If I fhould die without children, fays he, Í fhall leave half my fortune to my wife, and the oGther half to him who fhall beft confole her for my lofs. Give me leave, my dear Nelfon, to think of you upon this occafion: Men of my profeffion feldom grow old; fupply my place when I am gone: I defpife the hateful and ridiculous pride which facrifices the widow to the husband's ghoft. Nature intended Nouraly as an ornament to the world, and the ought to enrich it with beauty like her own."

H

It is furely much more eafy to conceive than to defcribe the fenfations of our unhappy lovers when they were parties in fuch converfations as thefe; both were equally overwhelmed with tenderness and confufion; but Nelfon had a confolation that was wanting to Nouraly: He comforted himself by reflecting on the uncommon merit of the man into whofe hands fhe was fall- A ing; but this very merit increased Neuraly's diftrefs, as it rendered him more worthy of that love which the could not give. She came at last, however, to the refolution of giving him all the could, and of fubmitting with the best grace she could to a fate B

which he could not avoid.

She was, therefore, when the day came, led as a victim to the very houfe which had been once dear to her as her first afylum, but was now dreaded as her tomb. Blandford received her with the utmoft tenderness, and imputed the confufion which the could not conceal to the modeft timidity which, on fuch an occafion, is natural to the fex. Nelfon had collected all his strength to go through the ceremony with a steady countenance.

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While the women who furrounded Nouraly were bufy in affording her affiftance, decency acquired that Blandford and Nelfon fhould retire to the moft diftant part of the room. Nelfon however remained silent, with his eyes immoveably fix'd upon the ground. Blandford perceiving his fituation, went up to him, and taking him in his arms, “ Am I not ttill, faid he, thy friend, and art not thou my other felf: Open thy heart to me, and let me know what is paffing in it: But I ask too much, tell me nothing, I know already all that you could fay, this dear girl could not fee thee, hear thee, and She has a quick and tender fenfibility, live with thee without loving thee. and you have all that can give grace to virtue, and improve elteem into love. Thou haft impofed filence upon her, and infifted upon her making a facrifice that would have been worie than death. O, my dear friend, how dreadful would have been the miffortune if it had been accomplished. But providence would not permit it, nor would nature, fuffer the violation of ber rights. Take comfort my dear friend,

The marriage fettlement was read, was lave you from the crime you

which was throughout a teftimony of love, esteem, and liberality: Every one prefent was betrayed into tears of complacency and esteem, not excepting Neuraly herself.

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Blandford then went up to her, and taking her hand with a mixture of the greatest tenderness and respect, Come, fays he, my deareft Nouraly, E give to this pledge of my happiness the fanction of your name." Nouraly, pale and trembling, rofe from her feat, and with the utmost difficulty went to the table, and took the pen in her hand, but as the stooped down to fign the contract, her strength wholly fail ed her, and she would have fallen if Blandford had not caught her in his arms. He looked around aftonished and terrified, and glancing his eye upon Nelson, he perceived his lips quiver, and his countenance pale as death. Lady Aubery ran to the af fiftance of Nouraly, and Blandford con- G tinuing fometime filent, at laft cried out "Good God! What do I fee! Anguish and death furround me : What am I doing, and what have you hidden from me! Oh! My friend, is it poffible-Look up my dear Nouraly, you fhall find me neither cruel nor unint; I have no wish, but to make you py."

about to perpetrate, the devoting Nouraly to me was a crime, but it was the crime of friendship.""It was, fays Nelfon, preffing the hands of Blandford between both his own; and I bave, though withont defigning it, been the ruin of you, of myfelf, and of that amiable girl; but I folemnly declare that integrity, friendship, and honour, have fuffered no violence."-" Make no proteftation faid Blandford, they are unworthy both of you and of me, you fhould not be thus near me if I could fufpect you of dishonour for a moment. What I forefaw has happened, but without your fault. What I am now witnefs to, is a proof of it, and even that proof is fuperfluous. It is indeed true faid Nelfon that I have nothing to reproach myfelf with, but prefumption and imprudence, and they are abundantly their own punishment. Nouraly I fee cannot be yours, but be affured that the fhall never be mine." And is it thus, said Blandford, with fome feverity that you return the generofity of a friend; do you think yourself obliged to have recourse to childish expedients in your dealing with me? Nouraly (hall not be mine, becaufe the could not be happy with me, but the lofs of a husband, whom but for you, fhe would have loved, is an injury which it be. hoves you to redrefs. The contract

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