elf be urged. But oh, how
unmingled the triumph, how sincere the joy if, by persevering in a
conduct, in which the path of duty is too palpable to be mistaken,
propitious fate may rather grant me the happiness after which I aspire,
than I be forced, as it were, myself to wrest it from the hands of
providence!"

Such was the result of this last and decisive interview. Delia could not
be moved from that line of conduct, upon which she had so virtuously
resolved. And Damon having in vain exerted all the rhetoric of which he
was master, now gave way to the gloomy suggestions of despair, and now
flattered himself with the gleams of hope. He sometimes thought, that
Delia might yet be induced to adopt the plan he had proposed; and
sometimes he gave way to the serene confidence she expressed, and indulged
the pleasing expectation, that virtue would not always remain without its
reward.

CHAPTER V.

_A Woman of Learning_.

We are now brought, in the course of our story, to the memorable scene at
Miss Cranley's. "Miss Cranley's!" exclaims one of our readers, in a tone
of admiration. "Miss Cranley's!" cries another, "and pray who is she?"

I distribute my readers into two classes, the indolent and the
supercilious, and shall accordingly address them upon the present
occasion. To the former I have nothing more to say, than to refer them
back to the latter part of Chapter I., Part I. where, my dear ladies, you
will find an accurate account of the character of two personages, who it
seems you have totally forgotten.

To the supercilious I have a very different story to tell. Most learned
sirs, I kiss your hands. I acknowledge my error, and throw myself upon
your clemency. You see however, gentlemen, that you were somewhat
mistaken, when you imagined that I, like my fair patrons, the indolent,
had quite lost these characters from my memory.

To speak ingenuously, I did indeed suppose, as far as I could calculate
the events of this important narrative beforehand, that the Miss Cranleys
would have come in earlier, and have made a more conspicuous figure, than
they now seem to have any chance of doing. Having thus settled accounts
with my readers; I take up again the thread of my story, and thus I
proceed.

Mr. Hartley being now, as he believed, upon the point of disposing of his
daughter in marriage, began seriously to consider that he should want a
female companion to manage, his family, to nurse his ailments, and to