said she, "when do you go to France?"

"To Italy you mean;--I shall not go at all," said he. "My superiors are
very indulgent, for they dispense with all my duties. I ought, and I
meant, to have gone abroad; but as a variety of concerns require my
presence in England, every necessary ceremony has taken place here."

"Then your Lordship is no longer in orders?" said Miss Woodley.

"No; they have been resigned these five days."

"My Lord, I give you joy," said Miss Milner.

He thanked her, but added with a sigh, "If I have given up content in
search of joy, I shall perhaps be a loser by the venture." Soon after
this, he wished them a good night, and retired.

Happy as Miss Milner found herself in his company, she saw him leave the
room with infinite satisfaction, because her heart was impatient to give
a loose to its hopes on the bosom of Miss Woodley. She bade Mrs. Horton
immediately good night; and, in her friend's apartment, gave way to all
the language of passion, warmed with the confidence of meeting its
return. She described the sentiments she had read in Lord Elmwood's
looks; and though Miss Woodley had beheld them too, Miss Milner's fancy
heightened the expression of every glance, till her construction became,
by degrees, so extremely favourable to her own wishes, that had not her
friend been present, and known in what measure to estimate those
symptoms, she must infallibly have thought, by the joy to which they
gave birth, that he had openly avowed a passion for her.

Miss Woodley, therefore, thought it her duty to allay these ecstasies,
and represented to her, she might be deceived in her hopes--or even
supposing his wishes inclined towards her, there were yet great
obstacles between them.--"Would not Sandford, who directed his every
thought and purpose, be consulted upon this? and if he was, upon what,
but the most romantic affection on the part of Lord Elmwood, had Miss
Milner to depend? and his Lordship was not a man to be suspected of
submitting to the excess of any passion." Thus did Miss Woodley argue,
lest her friend should be misled by her wishes; yet, in her own mind,
she scarce harboured a doubt that any thing would thwart them. The
succeeding circumstance proved she was mistaken.

Another gentleman of family and fortune made overtures to Miss Milner;
and her guardian, so far from having his thoughts inclined towards her
on his own account, pleaded this lover's cause even with more zeal than
he