es of his love. It was with this view that she desired he would not
insist upon attending her to her mother's house, when they arrived at
Brussels; and he, cajoled by her artifice, took a formal leave of her,
together with the other strangers, fixing his habitation at the inn to
which he and his fellow-travellers had been directed, in the impatient
expectation of receiving a kind summons from her within the limited
time.

Meanwhile, in order to divert his imagination, he went to see
the stadthouse, park, and arsenal, took a superficial view of the
booksellers' cabinet of curiosities, and spent the evening at the
Italian opera, which was at that time exhibited for the entertainment
of Prince Charles of Lorraine, then governor of the Low Countries. In
short, the stated period was almost lapsed when Peregrine received a
letter to this purport:--

"Sir,--If you knew what violence I do my own heart, in
declaring, that I have withdrawn myself for ever from your
addresses, you would surely applaud the sacrifice I make to
virtue, and strive to imitate this example of self-denial.
Yes, sir, Heaven hath lent me grace to struggle with my guilty
passion, and henceforth to avoid the dangerous sight of him,
who inspired it. I therefore conjure you, by the regard you
ought to have to the eternal welfare of us both, as well as by
the esteem and affection you profess, to war with your unruly
inclination, and desist from all attempts of frustrating the
laudable resolution I have made. Seek not to invade the peace
of one who loves you, to disturb the quiet of a family that
never did you wrong, and to alienate the thoughts of a weak
woman from a deserving man, who, by the most sacred claim,
ought to have the full possession of her heart."

This billet, without either date or subscription, banished all remains
of discretion from the mind of our hero, who ran instantly to the
landlord in all the ecstasy of madness, and demanded to see the
messenger who brought the letter on pain of putting his whole family to
the sword. The innkeeper, terrified by his looks and menaces, fell upon
his knees, protesting in the face of Heaven that he was utterly ignorant
and innocent of anything that could give him offence, and that the
billet was brought by a person whom he did not know, and who retired
immediately, saying it required no answer. He then gave utterance to his
fury