’Justification! (cry’d Aurelian) what Infidel dares doubt it!  Then kneeling down, and taking her Hand, ’Ah Madam (says he) would Heaven would no other ways look upon, than I behold your Perfections—­Wrong not your Creature with a Thought, he can be guilty of that horrid Impiety as once to doubt your Vertue—­Heavens! (cry’d he, starting up) ’am I so really blessed to see you once again!  May I trust my Sight?—­Or does my fancy now only more strongly work?—­For still I did preserve your Image in my Heart, and you were ever present to my dearest Thoughts.—­

’Enough Hippolito, enough of Rapture (said she) you cannot much accuse me of Ingratitude; for you see I have not been unmindful of you; but moderate your Joy till I have told you my Condition, and if for my sake you are raised to this Delight, it is not of a long continuance.

At that (as Aurelian tells the Story) a Sigh diffused a mournful sweetness through the Air, and liquid grief fell gently from her Eyes, triumphant sadness sat upon her Brow, and even sorrow seem’d delighted with the Conquest he had made.  See what a change Aurelian felt!  His Heart bled Tears, and trembled in his Breast; Sighs struggling for a vent had choaked each others passage up:  His Floods of Joys were all supprest; cold doubts and fears had chill’d ’em with a sudden Frost, and he was troubled to excess; yet knew not why.  Well, the Learned say it was Sympathy; and I am always of the Opinion with the Learned, if they speak first.

After a World of Condoleance had passed between them, he prevailed with her to tell him her Story.  So having put all her Sighs into one great Sigh, she discharged her self of ’em all at once, and formed the Relation you are just about to Read.

’Having been in my Infancy Contracted to a Man I could never endure, and now by my Parents being likely to be forced to Marry him, is in short, the great occasion of my grief.  I fansy’d (continued she) something so Generous in your Countenance, and uncommon in your Behaviour, while you were diverting your self, and rallying me with Expressions of Gallantry, at the Ball, as induced me to hold Conference with you.  I now freely confess to you, out of design, That if things should happen as I then feared, and as now they are come to pass, I might rely upon your assistance in a matter of Concern; and in which I would sooner chuse to depend upon a generous Stranger, than any Acquaintance I have.  What Mirth and Freedom I then put on, were, I can assure you, far distant from my Heart; but I did violence to my self out of Complaisance to your Temper.—­I knew you at the Tilting, and wished you might come off as you did; though I do not doubt, but you would have had as good Success had it been opposite to my Inclinations.—­Not to detain you by too tedious a Relation, every day my Friends urged me to the Match they had agreed upon for me, before I was capable of Consenting; at last their importunities grew to that degree, that I found