“Some months after our first acquaintance, Sir George’s eldest son came home from his travels.  His figure, his address, and conversation, were not unlike those warm ideas of an accomplished man which my favourite novels had taught me to form; and his sentiments on the article of religion were as liberal as my own:  when any of these happened to be the topic of our discourse, I, who before had been silent, from a fear of being single in opposition, now kindled at the fire he raised, and defended our mutual opinions with all the eloquence I was mistress of.  He would be respectfully attentive all the while; and when I had ended, would raise his eyes from the ground, look at me with a gaze of admiration, and express his applause in the highest strain of encomium.  This was an incense the more pleasing, as I seldom or never had met with it before; for the young gentlemen who visited Sir George were for the most part of that athletic order, the pleasure of whose lives is derived from fox-hunting:  these are seldom solicitous to please the women at all; or if they were, would never think of applying their flattery to the mind.

“Mr. Winbrooke observed the weakness of my soul, and took every occasion of improving the esteem he had gained.  He asked my opinion of every author, of every sentiment, with that submissive diffidence, which showed an unlimited confidence in my understanding.  I saw myself revered, as a superior being, by one whose judgment my vanity told me was not likely to err:  preferred by him to all the other visitors of my sex, whose fortunes and rank should have entitled them to a much higher degree of notice:  I saw their little jealousies at the distinguished attention he paid me; it was gratitude, it was pride, it was love!  Love which had made too fatal a progress in my heart, before any declaration on his part should have warranted a return:  but I interpreted every look of attention, every expression of compliment, to the passion I imagined him inspired with, and imputed to his sensibility that silence which was the effect of art and design.  At length, however, he took an opportunity of declaring his love:  he now expressed himself in such ardent terms, that prudence might have suspected their sincerity:  but prudence is rarely found in the situation I had been unguardedly led into; besides, that the course of reading to which I had been accustomed, did not lead me to conclude, that his expressions could be too warm to be sincere:  nor was I even alarmed at the manner in which he talked of marriage, a subjection, he often hinted, to which genuine love should scorn to be confined.  The woman, he would often say, who had merit like mine to fix his affection, could easily command it for ever.  That honour too which I revered, was often called in to enforce his sentiments.  I did not, however, absolutely assent to them; but I found my regard for their opposites diminish by degrees.  If it is dangerous to be convinced, it is dangerous to listen; for our reason is so much of a machine, that it will not always be able to resist, when the ear is perpetually assailed.