ing him would sway her to some
imprudencies, but could not have imagined it would have carried her, at
least so soon, to such a guilty length as she now found it did.

Convinced by the hour in which she went out, and alone, that she had
complied with the appointment, and that all she would have endeavoured
to prevent was already come to pass, she now considered that the
discovery she had to make would only render this indiscreet lady more
unhappy, and therefore no longer thought herself obliged to run any
risque of incuring her ill-will on the occasion; but in her soul
extremely lamented this second fall from virtue, which it was impossible
should not bring on consequences equally, if not more shameful than
the first.

Good God! cried she, how is it possible for a woman of any share of
sense, and who has been blessed with a suitable education, to run thus
counter to all the principles of religion, honour, virtue, modesty, and
all that is valuable in our sex? and yet that many do, I have been a
melancholy witness:--and then again, what is there in this love, resumed
she, that so infatuates the understanding, that we doat on our
dishonour, and think ruin pleasing?--Can any personal perfections in a
man attone for the contempt he treats us with in courting us to
infamy!--the mean opinion he testifies to have of us sure ought rather
to excite hate than love; our very pride, methinks, should be a
sufficient guard, and turn whatever favourable thoughts we might have of
such a one, unknowing his design, into aversion, when once convinced he
presumed upon our weakness.

In these kind of reasonings did she continue some time; but reflecting
that the trouble she was in might put Melanthe on asking the cause, it
seemed best to her to avoid seeing her that night, so retired to her own
room and went to bed, ordering the servants to tell their lady, in case
she enquired for her, that she was a little indisposed.

While Louisa was thus deploring a misfortune she wanted power to remedy,
the person for whom she was concerned past her time in a far different
manner: the count omitted nothing that might convince her of his
gallantry, and give her a pretence for flattering herself with his
sincerity:--he swore ten thousand oaths of constancy, and she easily
gave credit to what she wished and had vanity enough to think she
merited:--he had prepared every thing that could delight the senses for
her reception at the house to which he carr