rd's return; who, at length, unable
to confine in silence a passion which had long been obvious to every
observer, took an opportunity, when alone with Louisa, to declare his
attachment in the most affecting manner. She received it not with
surprise, but with real sorrow. She had no tincture of coquetry in her
composition; but if she had been capable of it, her affections were too
deeply engaged to have suffered her to retain it. Her sensibility was
never so strongly awakened; all her endeavours to restrain it were no
longer of force, her heart returned his passion, and would have
conquered every thing but her justice and her honour; these were deeply
engaged to Lady Lambton; and she would have detested herself if she
could have entertained a thought of making that lady's goodness to her
the occasion of the greatest vexation she could receive. She therefore
never hesitated on the part she should act on this trying occasion; but
the victories which honour gains over the tender affections are not to
be obtained without the severest pangs. Thus tormented by the struggles
between duty and affection, she was not immediately capable of giving
him an answer, but finding that her difficulties were increasing by his
repeated professions, and animated by the necessity of silencing a love
which too successfully solicited a return of affection, she assumed a
sufficient command over herself to conceal her sentiments, and with
averted eyes, lest her heart should through them contradict her words,
she told him, he distressed her to the greatest degree; that the respect
she had for him on account of his own merit, and not less for the
relation he bore to Lady Lambton, made her extremely concerned that he
should have conceived a passion for her, which it was not in her power
to return; nor could she listen to it in justice to Lady Lambton, to
whom she was bound in all the ties of gratitude; neither should anything
ever prevail with her to do any thing prejudicial to the interests of a
family into which she had been so kindly received.

Sir Edward was too much in love to acquiesce in so nice a point of
honour; but Louisa would not wait to hear arguments which it was so
painful to her to refute, and retired into her own chamber, to lament in
secret her unhappy fate in being obliged to reject the addresses of a
man whose affections, were she at liberty, she would think no sacrifice
too great to obtain.

Miss Mancel endeavoured as much as