not a wish
but for his happiness, whatever becomes of me.

Emily appeared at the door--May I come in, ladies?--I will come in!--My
dear Miss Byron affected! My dear Miss Byron in tears!

Her pity, without knowing the cause, sprung to her eyes. She took my
hand in both hers, and repeatedly kissed it!--My guardian asks for you.
O with what tenderness of voice--Where is your Miss Byron, love? He
calls every one by gentle names, when he speaks of you--His voice then is
the voice of love--Love, said he to me! Through you, madam, he will love
his ward--And on your love will I build all my merit. But you sigh, dear
Miss Byron! you sigh--Forgive your prating girl!--You must not be
grieved.

I embraced her. Grief, my dear, reaches not my heart at this time. It
is the merit of your guardian that affects me.

God bless you, madam, for your gratitude to my guardian!

A Clementina and a Harriet! said Lady L----, two women so excellent!
What a fate is his! How must his heart be divided!

Divided, say you, Lady L----! resumed Lady G----. The man who loves
virtue, for virtue's sake, loves it wherever he finds it: Such a man may
distinguish more virtuous women than one: and if he be of a gentle and
beneficent nature, there will be tenderness in his distinction to every
one, varying only according to the difference of circumstance and
situation.

Let me embrace you, my Charlotte! resumed Lady L----. for that thought.
Don't let me hear, for a month to come, one word from the same lips, that
may be unworthy of it.

You have Lord G---- in your head, Lady L----: but never mind us. He must
now and then be made to look about him. I'll take care to keep up my
consequence with him, never fear: nor shall he have reason to doubt the
virtue of his wife.

Virtue, my dear! said I: What is virtue only? She who will not be
virtuous for virtue's sake, is not worthy to be called a woman: but she
must be something more than virtuous for her husband's, nay, for her
vow's sake. Complacency, obligingness--

Obedience too, I warrant--Hush, hush, my sweet Harriet! putting her hand
before my mouth, we will behave as well as we can: and that will be very
well, if nobody minds us. And now let us go down together.

LETTER XXII

MISS BYRON.--IN CONTINUATION
THURSDAY, APRIL 13.

We played at cards last night till supper-time. When that was over,
every one sought to engage Sir Charles in discourse. I will give you
some particulars of our conve