; but alass,
there required little pains to acquire the intelligence I fought.--I
was soon informed that he was every day with the daughter of a little
mechanic;--that he made her very rich presents, procured a commission in
the army for one of her brothers, and in fine, that he was as much
devoted to her as a man of his inconstant temper could be to any woman.

How severe a mortification was this to my pride! but it had this good
attending it, that it very much abated my love:--to be abandoned for so
mean a creature, and who had nothing but youth and a tolerable face to
recommend her, shewed such a want of taste as well as gratitude, as
rendered despicable in my eyes what had lately engrossed all my love and
admiration.--The moment I received the information I sent for him;--and
forcing my countenance to a serenity my heart was a stranger to, told
him it was only to take a last leave of a person whom I had been so far
mistaken in as to think deserving my affection: that I desired to see
him once more, but having now seen my error, desired he would desist his
visits for the future. He asked me with the same calmness he had lately
behaved with, what whim I had got in my head now, I, who had before
determined not to feed my rival's pride by shewing any jealousy of her,
only replied, that as amours, such as ours had been, must have an end
some time or other,--I thought none could be more proper than the
present, because I believed both of us could do it without pain.

Answer for yourself, madam, cried he with some emotion, for I could
perceive my behaviour had a little flung his vanity; and resolute to
give him in my turn all the mortification in my power, nay, said I with
a disdainful toss of my head, I do not enquire into your sentiments,--it
is sufficient mine are to break entirely off with you;--neither is it
any concern to me how you may resent this alteration in my conduct, or
dispose of yourself hereafter; but I once more assure you, with my usual
frankness, that I now can see none of those perfections my foolish fancy
formerly found in you, and cannot be complaisant enough to counterfeit a
tenderness I neither feel nor think you worthy of.

The surprize he was in kept him silent for some moments; but recovering
himself as well as he could, he told me, that if the levity of my nature
had made me cease to love him, he could not have expected endearments
should be converted into affronts; that if I was determined to