In fine, he drew near, and had placed himself close by her before she observed him; but no sooner did so, than she started, and appeared in some confusion:  he made a handsome apology for the intrusion, which he assured her, with a great deal of truth, was wholly owing to chance, and said he would withdraw, if his presence would be any interruption to the pleasure she proposed:—­she seemed obliged to him for the offer, but told him she would not abuse the proof he gave of his complaisance by accepting it; on which he bowed, and continued in his place.

Both the music, and the words, seemed intended to lull the soul into a forgetfulness of all beside, and fill it only with soft ideas:—­it had at least this effect upon the lady, who had closed her eyes, and was in reality lost to every other sense than that of hearing.—­Natura, either was, or pretended to be, equally transported, and sunk insensibly upon her bosom, without any opposition on her part:—­she had possibly even forgot she was not alone, and when an air full of the most inchanting tenderness was singing, was so much dissolved in extasy, that crying out, ’O God, ‘tis insupportable!’ she threw her arms over Natura’s neck, who was still in the same posture I just mentioned;—­he spoke not a word, but was not so absorbed in the gratification of one faculty, as to let slip the gratification of the others:—­he seized the lucky moment;—­he pressed her close, and in this trance of thought, this total absence of mind, stole himself, as it were, into the possession of a bliss, which the assiduity of whole years would perhaps never have been able to obtain.

Reason and thought at last returned; she opened her eyes, she knew to what the rapture she had been in had exposed her, and was struck with the most poignant shame and horror:—­she broke with all her force from that strict embrace in which he had continued to hold her; and being withdrawn to the farther corner of the closet,—­’What have I done,’ cried she, ’What have I done!’—­these words she repeated several times, and accompanied them with tears, wringing her hands, and every testimony of remorse.—­It was in vain for him to attempt to pacify her, much less to prevail on her to suffer any second proofs of his tenderness;—­she would not even give him leave to touch her hand, and on his offering it, pushed him back, saying, ’No, stranger! you have taken the advantage of my insensibility but shall never triumph over my reason, which enables me to hate you,—­to fly from you for ever, as from a serpent.’

Natura said every thing that love and wit could inspire, to reconcile her to what had past; but she remained inflexible, and only condescended to request him to leave the place before the opera was ended, that they might not be seen coming out together, and that he would tell signior Carrana, that having unexpectedly found a lady in the box, he had withdrawn without entering.—­He then begged she would entertain