displeasure. He saw
that Elvira's knowledge of the world would not be the Dupe of his
sanctified demeanour, and that She would easily perceive his views upon
her Daughter. He resolved therefore, before She quitted her chamber,
to try the extent of his influence over the innocent Antonia.

One evening, when He had found Elvira almost perfectly restored to
health, He quitted her earlier than was his usual custom. Not finding
Antonia in the Antichamber, He ventured to follow her to her own. It
was only separated from her Mother's by a Closet, in which Flora, the
Waiting-Woman, generally slept. Antonia sat upon a Sopha with her back
towards the door, and read attentively. She heard not his approach,
till He had seated himself by her. She started, and welcomed him with
a look of pleasure: Then rising, She would have conducted him to the
sitting-room; But Ambrosio taking her hand, obliged her by gentle
violence to resume her place. She complied without difficulty: She
knew not that there was more impropriety in conversing with him in one
room than another. She thought herself equally secure of his
principles and her own, and having replaced herself upon the Sopha, She
began to prattle to him with her usual ease and vivacity.

He examined the Book which She had been reading, and had now placed
upon the Table. It was the Bible.

'How!' said the Friar to himself; 'Antonia reads the Bible, and is
still so ignorant?'

But, upon a further inspection, He found that Elvira had made exactly
the same remark. That prudent Mother, while She admired the beauties
of the sacred writings, was convinced that, unrestricted, no reading
more improper could be permitted a young Woman. Many of the narratives
can only tend to excite ideas the worst calculated for a female breast:
Every thing is called plainly and roundly by its name; and the annals
of a Brothel would scarcely furnish a greater choice of indecent
expressions. Yet this is the Book which young Women are recommended to
study; which is put into the hands of Children, able to comprehend
little more than those passages of which they had better remain
ignorant; and which but too frequently inculcates the first rudiments
of vice, and gives the first alarm to the still sleeping passions. Of
this was Elvira so fully convinced, that She would have preferred
putting into her Daughter's hands 'Amadis de Gaul,' or 'The Valiant
Champion, Tirante the White;' and would sooner have