and he, reddening, looked round himself, and round himself, to see if anything was amiss in his garb.  The man, the man! honest friend, I could have said, (but had too much reverence for my husband,) is the oddity!  Nothing amiss in the garb.  I quickly recollected myself, however, and put him in a good humour, by proper marks of my gracious acceptance.  On reflection, I could not bear myself for vexing the honest man when he had meant to oblige me.

How soon I may relapse again, I know not.—­O Harriet!  Why did you beseech me to be good?  I think in my heart I have the stronger inclination to be bad for it!  You call me perverse:  if you think me so, bid me be saucy, bid me be bad; and I may then, like other good wives, take the contrary course for the sake of dear contradiction.

Shew not, however, (I in turn beseech you) to your grandmamma and aunt, such parts of this letter as would make them despise me.  You say, you stand up for me; I have need of your advocateship:  never let me want it.  And do I not, after all, do a greater credit to my good man, when I can so heartily laugh in the wedded state, than if I were to sit down with my finger in my eye?

I have taken your advice, and presented my sister with my half of the jewels.  I desired her to accept them, as they were my mother’s, and for her sake.  This gave them a value with her, more than equal with their worth:  but Lord L——­ is uneasy, and declares he will not suffer Lady L——­ long to lie under the obligation.  Were every one of family in South Britain and North Britain to be as generous and disinterested as Lord L——­ and our family, the union of the two parts of the island would be complete.

***

Lord help this poor obliging man!  I wish I don’t love him, at last.  He has taken my hint, and has presented his collection of shells (a very fine one, he says, it is) to Emily; and they two are actually busied (and will be for an hour or two, I doubt not) in admiring them; the one strutting over the beauties, in order to enhance the value of the present; the other courtesying ten times in a minute, to shew her gratitude.  Poor man!  When his virtuoso friend has got his butterflies and moths, I am afraid he must set up a turner’s shop, for employment.  If he loved reading, I could, when our visiting hurries are over, set him to read to me the new things that come out, while I knot or work; and, if he loved writing, to copy the letters which pass between you and me, and those for you which I expect with so much impatience from my brother by means of Dr. Bartlett.  I think he spells pretty well, for a lord.

I have no more to say, at present, but compliments, without number or measure, to all you so deservedly love and honour; as well those I have not seen, as those I have.

Only one thing:  Reveal to me all the secrets of your heart, and how that heart is from time to time affected; that I may know whether you are capable of that greatness of mind in a love-case, that you shew in all others.  We will all allow you to love Sir Charles Grandison.  Those who do, give honour to themselves, if their eyes stop not at person, his having so many advantages.  For the same reason, I make no apologies, and never did, for praising my brother, as any other lover of him might do.