, which she was to say her
guardian imposed upon her; and she was to entreat the lady to send a
pressing invitation that she would pass a month or two at her house;
this invitation was to be laid before Dorriforth for his approbation,
and the two ladies were to enforce it, by expressing their earnest
wishes for his consent. This plan having been properly regulated, the
necessary letter was sent to Bath, and Miss Woodley waited with
patience, but with a watchful guard upon the conduct of her friend, till
the answer should arrive.

During this interim a tender and complaining epistle from Lord Frederick
was delivered to Miss Milner; to which, as he received no answer, he
prevailed upon his uncle, with whom he resided, to wait upon her, and
obtain a verbal reply; for he still flattered himself, that fear of her
guardian's anger, or perhaps his interception of the letter which he had
sent, was the sole cause of her apparent indifference.

The old gentleman was introduced both to Miss Milner and to Mr.
Dorriforth, but received from each an answer so explicit, that left his
nephew no longer in doubt but that all farther pursuit was vain.

Sir Edward Ashton about this time also submitted to a formal dismission;
and had the mortification to reflect, that he was bestowing upon the
object of his affections, the tenderest proof of his regard, by
absenting himself entirely from her society.

Upon this serious and certain conclusion to the hopes of Lord Frederick,
Dorriforth was more astonished than ever at the conduct of his ward. He
had once thought her behaviour in this respect was ambiguous, but since
her confession of a passion for that nobleman, he had no doubt but in
the end she would become his wife. He lamented to find himself mistaken,
and thought it proper now to condemn her caprice, not merely in words,
but in the general tenor of his behaviour. He consequently became more
reserved, and more austere than he had been since his first acquaintance
with her; for his manners, not from design, but imperceptibly to
himself, had been softened since he became her guardian, by that tender
respect which he had uniformly paid to the object of his protection.

Notwithstanding the severity he now assumed, his ward, in the prospect
of parting from him, grew melancholy; Miss Woodley's love to her friend
rendered her little otherwise; and Dorriforth's peculiar gravity,
frequently rigour, could not but make their whole party less chee