CHARLOTTE

And call her capricious! Did ever such an objection start into the
heart of woman? For my part, I wish I had fifty lovers to discard, for
no other reason than because I did not fancy them. My dear Maria, you
will forgive me; I know your candour and confidence in me; but I have
at times, I confess, been led to suppose that some other gentleman was
the cause of your aversion to Mr. Dimple.

MARIA

No, my sweet friend, you may be assured, that though I have seen many
gentlemen I could prefer to Mr. Dimple, yet I never saw one that I
thought I could give my hand to, until this morning.

CHARLOTTE

This morning!

MARIA

Yes; one of the strangest accidents in the world. The odious Dimple,
after disgusting me with his conversation, had just left me, when a
gentleman, who, it seems, boards in the same house with him, saw him
coming out of our door, and, the houses looking very much alike, he
came into our house instead of his lodgings; nor did he discover his
mistake until he got into the parlour, where I was; he then bowed so
gracefully, made such a genteel apology, and looked so manly and
noble!--

CHARLOTTE

I see some folks, though it is so great an impropriety, can praise a
gentleman, when he happens to be the man of their fancy. [Aside.]

MARIA

I don't know how it was,--I hope he did not think me indelicate,--but I
asked him, I believe, to sit down, or pointed to a chair. He sat down,
and, instead of having recourse to observations upon the weather, or
hackneyed criticisms upon the theatre, he entered readily into a
conversation worthy a man of sense to speak, and a lady of delicacy and
sentiment to hear. He was not strictly handsome, but he spoke the
language of sentiment, and his eyes looked tenderness and honour.

CHARLOTTE

Oh! [eagerly] you sentimental, grave girls, when your hearts are once
touched, beat us rattles a bar's length. And so you are quite in love
with this he-angel?

MARIA

In love with him! How can you rattle so, Charlotte? am I not going to
be miserable? [Sighs.] In love with a gentleman I never saw but one
hour in my life, and don't know his name! No; I only wished that the
man I shall marry may look, and talk, and act, just like him. Besides,
my dear, he is a married man.

CHARLOTTE

Why, that was good-natured--he told you so, I suppose, in mere charity,
to prevent you falling in love with him?

MARIA

He didn't tell me so; [peevi