of us.'

'No, madam,' answered he, much surprized, 'I am far from even a wish
of becoming guilty of what you accuse me with;--dear as I prize your
person, I would not attempt to purchase it at the expence of your
peace of mind; nor could I be truly blessed in the enjoyment of the
_one_, without the _other_;--it is only to Maria herself I would have
been obliged, not to the authority of her parents.'

'Will you then quit me,' cried she hastily, 'and let the act appear
wholly your own?'--'I will,' replied he, after a pause, 'difficult as
it is to do so, and irresolute and inconstant as it will make me
seem.' 'That,' said she, 'will be an action truly deserving my esteem;
and in return, know I am much more your friend in refusing your
addresses, than either my parents in encouraging, or your own mistaken
wishes in offering them':--'but,' pursued she, 'I beg you will enquire
no farther, but leave me, and break off with my parents in the best
manner you can.'

Fain would he have obtained a farther explanation of words, which
seemed to him to contain some mystery, as indeed they did; but she was
no less inflexible to his intreaties on that score, than she had been
to those of his love; and perceiving his presence gave her only pain,
he went out of the house with an aking and agitated heart, but
resolved to do as she desired and he had promised, whatever pangs it
cost him.

He had not gone above an hundred paces on his way home, before he was
accosted by a man who seemed like an upper-servant in a gentleman's
family, and who, with a low bow, delivered him a letter, which, on
seeing directed to himself, he hastily opened, and found contained
these lines:

Sir,

"If you have any thing in you of the gallantry, generosity, or
gratitude, for which your country is famed, come where the bearer
will conduct you, to a woman, who has suffered much on your
account, and can be extricated from an unhappy affair only by your
advice."

Natura was little in a humour to pursue an adventure of the kind this
seemed to be; but curiosity got the better of his spleen, and he bad
the fellow lead the way, and he would follow; which he accordingly
did, till they were out of the town, and from the sight of all the
houses.

Being come into a field which was a kind of an inclosure, and a
theatre proper enough for the tragedy intended to be acted on it, the
fellow turned back, and drew a pistol, which he instantly discharged
at t