ed of the fate of Theodore:--She was unable to
suppress the feelings of sorrow, that these words of Bonville had
excited. She remained silent; wholly engrossed by the confused thoughts
and sad ideas, that arose in succession in her mind, till at length she
became regardless of all around her.

The penetrating eyes of Mr. More were fixed upon her during this
conversation. He seemed wholly insensible to every other object. He was
apprehensive that her heart was insensible to the strong affection that
pervaded his own,--and he thought should she prove incapable of loving
like himself, and should become devoted to another, thoughts he could
scarcely endure,--though they sometimes impressed the idea that she
might never be interested in his favour. Hope would again flatter him
with the pleasing thought, that her bosom may have been fraught with
congenial feelings, and her heart beat with sensations even more fervent
than his own. Her image filled his waking thoughts, and disturbed with
visionary happiness his sleeping hours,--yet it seemed to his devoted
mind the love of merit alone; and he imagined that while she was happy,
he could never be altogether otherwise.

After Mr. More and Bonville had taken leave, and her parents had retired
to rest, Alida remained by the fire-side till a late hour. She was
meditating on recent circumstances, on the many late trying events which
had crowded so rapidly that they could scarcely be said to succeed each
other, and which had given so great variety to her life, that for years
had rolled on in the same peaceful, unvaried course. She felt displeased
at Bonville for his insinuations concerning Theodore, which were
ungenerous and ill-natured,--while he seemed to flatter himself with the
idea that she would become forgetful of him. He had hitherto yielded to
every selfish propensity, without once seriously reflecting on its
consequences to himself or others. His understanding, warped by
prejudice, and without control, often misled him, and the superiority an
elevated station gave him caused him to neglect to practice those better
principles of which his nature might have been capable. His pride would
suffer to see Alida united to another, therefore he was determined not
to relinquish her. He concluded that finally she would look upon
Theodore with indifference, and become favourably disposed towards
himself; while his regard for her should prove unchangeable. That,
unacquainted as she was