could love Graham, or that it
was her Duty to disobey her Father; the only thing at which she rather
seemed to hesitate was our assertion that she must be attached to some
other Person. For some time, she persevered in declaring that she knew
no other young man for whom she had the the smallest Affection; but upon
explaining the impossibility of such a thing she said that she beleived
she DID LIKE Captain M'Kenrie better than any one she knew besides. This
confession satisfied us and after having enumerated the good Qualities
of M'Kenrie and assured her that she was violently in love with him, we
desired to know whether he had ever in any wise declared his affection
to her.

"So far from having ever declared it, I have no reason to imagine that
he has ever felt any for me." said Janetta. "That he certainly adores
you (replied Sophia) there can be no doubt--. The Attachment must be
reciprocal. Did he never gaze on you with admiration--tenderly press
your hand--drop an involantary tear--and leave the room abruptly?"
"Never (replied she) that I remember--he has always left the room indeed
when his visit has been ended, but has never gone away particularly
abruptly or without making a bow." Indeed my Love (said I) you must be
mistaken--for it is absolutely impossible that he should ever have left
you but with Confusion, Despair, and Precipitation. Consider but for a
moment Janetta, and you must be convinced how absurd it is to suppose
that he could ever make a Bow, or behave like any other Person."
Having settled this Point to our satisfaction, the next we took into
consideration was, to determine in what manner we should inform M'Kenrie
of the favourable Opinion Janetta entertained of him.... We at length
agreed to acquaint him with it by an anonymous Letter which Sophia drew
up in the following manner.

"Oh! happy Lover of the beautifull Janetta, oh! amiable Possessor of
HER Heart whose hand is destined to another, why do you thus delay a
confession of your attachment to the amiable Object of it? Oh! consider
that a few weeks will at once put an end to every flattering Hope that
you may now entertain, by uniting the unfortunate Victim of her father's
Cruelty to the execrable and detested Graham."

"Alas! why do you thus so cruelly connive at the projected Misery of
her and of yourself by delaying to communicate that scheme which had
doubtless long possessed your imagination? A secret Union will at once
secure the feli