too weak to suckle it. With compassion she perceived, that it would be an advantage to the poor babe, as its mother had a very alarming cough and consumptive. symptoms.

They had been together about a quarter of an hour, when Minette desired the nurse to go into the next room with the child, and addressing Amelrosa with a pensive air, said, "I consider it as a duty incumbent on me, after your benevolent and amiable attention, to relate the circmstances that have occasioned me to be discovered by you in such a suspicious situation. Not that I mean to exculpate myself; for acute are my pangs, when I know that is impossible. I have indeed been very weak, and erred so considerably, that my peace of mind is for ever destroyed; yet, I wish to convince you, I have rather been unfortunate and thoughtless, than intentionally imprudent."

Though

Though her curiosity was much excited, Amelrosa would not yield to it, and requested Minette earnestly not to commu-. nicate any thing relating to herself, that would give her pain, as it would afflict her to witness her uneasiness. Minette could not, however, be persuaded to relinquish her intention, and with a deep sigh, proceeded thus:

"Soon after our arrival in England, my father formed an acquaintance with a gentleman of family, fashion, and extensive fortune, whom in a luckless hour he introduced to his daughters. He was calculated to please our sex, and the deference he particularly evinced to me, early prepossessed me in his favor. His visits were frequent, and generally contrived to take place when the Marquis and Felicité were out, or engaged up stairs; which intelligence I have since learned, he contrived to gain, by bribing our female English

servant.

"With professions of love the most honorable, he usually entertained me, and when I desired he would speak to my father on the subject, he declined it, with the excuse, that if he communicated his intentions, they would soon be publicly known and reach the ears of one of his relations, that he expected would leave him soon, as he was very old, a fine estate and a large sum of money; but if he disobliged him by marrying a Roman Catholic, being much prejudiced against that religion, he would bequeath his property to another relative, and he did not wish to offend him, as he was anxious for the estate.

“Infatuated with my love, and pleased with the idea of marrying a man who might ultimately be of service to my dear father and sister, I suffered myself to be blindly influenced by him, from having thought highly of the goodness of his heart; and in fact, except with regard to women, he possesses many virtues.

"This was my situation, when nearly ten months since, the Marquis and Felicité went to visit a nobleman that had likewise emigrated from France with his lady, who was Felicité's god-mother; and having been informed she was dangerously ill, my father and sister set off to visit her at a country seat in Somersetshire, where they resided; which was lent them for their residence, by an English gentleman their friend, to whom it belonged. I was left in town to guard our little property, and to superintend our family affairs; more particularly, as we were in lodgings, and did not like to leave them to the sole protection of our English servant.

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My governess and her husband had quitted us some time, the Marquis having placed them in a perfumer's shop, which he considered would be a more comfortable subsistence for them, than residing with us, as we could not otherwise have provided for them so liberally as they deserved;

served; yet with the utmost reluctance they parted from us.

"The following evening after their departure, my lover came to me, and mentioning that a most amusing play was to be acted that evening, persuaded me, after a great deal of hesitation, to accompany him to it; for I was indeed very reluctant to go out any where in the absence of my father, who would be displeased if he knew it. But how difficult it is to resist the importunities of a person we love. The only defence, I believe, is to avoid placing yourself in such situations as expose you to solicitation; and fortunate would it have been for me, if I had then reflected in this manner, being unhappily of a disposition easily persuaded to compliance with any plan, by those I esteemed a facility that has been of fatal consequence to me.

་་

Contrary, therefore, to the conduct I should have pursued, I went to the the

atre;