ucement to make him desire to see his daughter, as the
report he had heard both of hers and her cousin's great beauty.

Sempronius (for so this Colonel was called) was a very sensible,
well-bred, agreeable man; and from the circumstances of his former
acquaintance, and his present proper and polite behaviour, he soon
became very intimate in the family. The old lady was particularly
pleased with him; and secretly wished, that before she died she might
be so happy as to see one of her nieces married to Sempronius. She could
not from his behaviour see the least particular liking to either, though
he showed an equal and very great esteem and regard for both.

He in reality liked them both extremely; and the reason of making no
declaration of love was, his being so undetermined in any preference
that was due to either. He saw plainly that he was very agreeable to
both; and with pleasure he observed, that they made use of none of those
arts which women generally do to get away a disputed lover: and this
sincere friendship which subsisted between them raised in him the
highest degree of love and admiration. However he at last determined to
make the following trial:

He went first to Chloe, and (finding her alone) told her, that he had
the greatest liking in the world to her cousin; and had really a mind
to propose himself to her: but as he saw a very great friendship between
them, he was willing to ask her advice in the matter; and conjured her
to tell him sincerely, whether there was anything in Caelia's temper
(not discoverable by him) which as a wife would make him unhappy? He
told her, that, if she knew any such thing, it would be no treachery,
but rather kind in her to declare it, as it would prevent her friend's
being unhappy; which must be the consequence, in marriage, of her making
him so.

Chloe could not help seeing very plainly, that if Caelia was removed she
stood the very next in Sempronius's favour. Her lover was present--her
friend was absent--and the temptation was too strong and agreeable to be
resisted. She then answered, that since he insisted upon the truth, and
had convinced her that it was in reality acting justly and kindly by her
friend, she must confess, that Caelia was possessed (though in a very
small degree) of what she had often heard him declare most against of
anything in the world; and that was, an artfulness of temper, and some
few sparks of envy.

Chloe's confused manner of speaking, and