was illustrated by the arrival of Sir John and Lady
Belfield, who, though not new to the reader or the writer, were new at
Stanley Grove.

The early friendship of the two gentlemen had suffered little diminution
from absence, though their intercourse had been much interrupted. Sir
John, who was a few years younger than his friend, since his marriage,
having lived as entirely in town as Mr. Stanley had done in the country.
Mrs. Stanley had, indeed, seen Lady Belfield a few times in
Cavendish-square, but her ladyship had never before been introduced to
the other inhabitants of the Grove.

The guests were received with cordial affection, and easily fell into
the family habits, which they did not wish to interrupt, but from the
observation of which they hoped to improve their own. They were charmed
with the interesting variety of characters in the lovely young family,
who in return were delighted with the politeness, kindness, and
cheerfulness of their father's guests.

Shall I avow my own meanness? Cordially as I loved the Belfields, I am
afraid I saw them arrive with a slight tincture of jealousy. They would,
I thought, by enlarging the family circle, throw me at a further
distance from the being whom I wished to contemplate nearly. They would,
by dividing her attention, diminish my proportion. I had been hitherto
the sole guest, I was now to be one of several. This was the first
discovery I made that love is a narrower of the heart. I tried to subdue
the ungenerous feeling, and to meet my valuable friends with a warmth
adequate to that which they so kindly manifested. I found that a wrong
feeling at which one has virtue enough left to blush, is seldom lasting,
and shame soon expelled it.

The first day was passed in mutual inquiries and mutual communications.
Lady Belfield told me that the amiable Fanny, after having wept over the
grave of her mother, was removed to the house of the benevolent
clergyman, who had kindly promised her an asylum till Lady Belfield's
return to town, when it was intended she should be received into her
family; that worthy man and his wife having taken on themselves a full
responsibility for her character and disposition; and generously
promised that they would exert themselves to advance her progress in
knowledge during the interval. Lady Belfield added, that every inquiry
respecting Fanny, whom we must now call Miss Stokes, had been attended
with the most satisfactory result, her princip