tment. I felt as if the state of my mind could not but be evident
to him; and experienced in myself all the confusion which this discovery
was calculated to produce in him. I would have willingly excused myself
from meeting him; but that was impossible.

At breakfast, after the usual salutations, nothing was said. For a time
I scarcely lifted my eyes from the table. Stealing a glance at Welbeck,
I discovered in his features nothing but his wonted gravity. He appeared
occupied with thoughts that had no relation to last night's adventure.
This encouraged me; and I gradually recovered my composure. Their
inattention to me allowed me occasionally to throw scrutinizing and
comparing glances at the face of each.

The relationship of parent and child is commonly discovered in the
visage; but the child may resemble either of its parents, yet have no
feature in common with both. Here outlines, surfaces, and hues were in
absolute contrariety. That kindred subsisted between them was possible,
notwithstanding this dissimilitude; but this circumstance contributed to
envenom my suspicions.

Breakfast being finished, Welbeck cast an eye of invitation to the
piano-forte. The lady rose to comply with his request. My eye chanced
to be, at that moment, fixed on her. In stepping to the instrument, some
motion or appearance awakened a thought in my mind which affected my
feelings like the shock of an earthquake.

I have too slight acquaintance with the history of the passions to truly
explain the emotion which now throbbed in my veins. I had been a
stranger to what is called love. From subsequent reflection, I have
contracted a suspicion that the sentiment with which I regarded this
lady was not untinctured from this source, and that hence arose the
turbulence of my feelings on observing what I construed into marks of
pregnancy. The evidence afforded me was slight; yet it exercised an
absolute sway over my belief.

It was well that this suspicion had not been sooner excited. Now
civility did not require my stay in the apartment, and nothing but
flight could conceal the state of my mind. I hastened, therefore, to a
distance, and shrouded myself in the friendly secrecy of my own chamber.

The constitution of my mind is doubtless singular and perverse; yet that
opinion, perhaps, is the fruit of my ignorance. It may by no means be
uncommon for men to _fashion_ their conclusions in opposition to
evidence and _probability_, and so as to fee