And she looked at the Captain, observing, no doubt, that his eyes seemed to take lessons from mine.

A fair match, by Jupiter!

The Captain was disconcerted.  The dog had not had such a blush upon his face for ten years before.  I bit my lip for vexation:  walked about the room; but nevertheless took my post again; and blinked with my eyes to the Captain, as a caution for him to take more care of his:  and then scouling with my brows, and giving the nod positive, I as good as said, resent that, Captain.

Capt.  I hope, Madam, you have no suspicion that I am capable—­

Cl.  Be not displeased with me, Captain Tomlinson.  I have told you that I am not of a suspicious temper.  Excuse me for the sake of my sincerity.  There is not, I will be bold to say, a sincerer heart in the world than her’s before you.

She took out her handkerchief, and put it to her eyes.

I was going, at that instant, after her example, to vouch for the honesty of my heart; but my conscience Mennelled upon me; and would not suffer the meditated vow to pass my lips.—­A devilish thing, thought I, for a man to be so little himself, when he has most occasion for himself!

The villain Tomlinson looked at me with a rueful face, as if he begged leave to cry for company.  It might have been as well, if he had cried.  A feeling heart, or the tokens of it given by a sensible eye, are very reputable things, when kept in countenance by the occasion.

And here let me fairly own to thee, that twenty times in this trying conversation I said to myself, that could I have thought that I should have had all this trouble, and incurred all this guilt, I would have been honest at first.  But why, Jack, is this dear creature so lovely, yet so invincible?—­Ever heardst thou before that the sweets of May blossomed in December?

Capt.  Be pleased—­be pleased, Madam—­if you have any doubts of my honour—­

A whining varlet!  He should have been quite angry—­For what gave I him the nod positive?  He should have stalked again to the window, as for his whip and hat.

Cl.  I am only making such observations as my youth, my inexperience, and my present unhappy circumstances, suggest to me—­a worthy heart (such, I hope, as Captain Tomlinson’s) need not fear an examination—­ need not fear being looked into—­whatever doubts that man, who has been the cause of my errors, and, as my severe father imprecated, the punisher of the errors he has caused, might have had of me, or of my honour, I would have forgiven him for them, if he had fairly proposed them to me:  for some doubts perhaps such a man might have of the future conduct of a creature whom he could induce to correspond with him against parental prohibition, and against the lights which her own judgment threw in upon her:  and if he had propounded them to me like a man and a gentleman, I would have been glad of the opportunity given me to clear my intentions, and to have shown myself entitled to his good opinion—­and I hope you, Sir—­