ttentive as made her fear his regard for her was
entirely vanished. The sincere affection she had for him rendered this
apprehension extremely painful. She would have been contented to have
seen another woman his wife, but could not bear the thought of losing
his friendship. At first she passed over this change in silence and
appeared even not to observe it; but when they received an account that
the marriage writings were finished, she thought an affected blindness
highly unseasonable and told him, in the most friendly and generous
manner, that nothing remained to be done but to cancel them, that she
plainly perceived another had obtained the heart she never possessed;
that the measures taken for their marriage were of no sort of
consequence, and she flattered herself she might retain his friendship
though he gave his hand to another.

Mr Alworth at first appeared confounded, but recovering himself,
confessed to her frankly he never knew the weakness and folly of the
human heart till his own convinced him of it; that he had always felt
for her the most perfect esteem, joined with the tenderest affection,
but his passions had had no share in his attachment. On the contrary, he
found them strongly engaged on the side of Miss Melman, and felt an
ardour for her which he had never before experienced. That he could not
think of being her husband without rapture, though he saw plainly she
was inferior to his Harriot both in beauty and understanding; and as for
her principles, he was totally ignorant of them. He now, he said,
perceived the difference between friendship and love, and was convinced
that esteem and passion were totally independent, since she entirely
possessed the one, while Miss Melman totally engrossed the other.

Harriot was pleased with the frankness of Mr Alworth's confession and
wished only to be secure of his esteem, but she saw him so wholly taken
up with Miss Melman that she was convinced passion had greater power
over his sex than esteem, and that while his mind was under the
tumultuous influence of love, she must expect very little satisfaction
from his friendship.

She took upon herself the task of breaking off their treaty of marriage
and acquainted her grandmother with her resolution, who saw too plainly
the reason for her doing so to blame her conduct, though she grieved at
the necessity for it and could not sincerely forgive her grandson's
levity and want of judgement in preferring a wild fantas