licacy on that subject, as soon as Mr
Hintman left her, she ran to Miss Melvyn with some of the impatience in
her countenance, though she endeavoured to conceal it, with which her
heart was filled, and tried every tender caress, every fond and humble
petition, to obtain a promise from that young lady, that she would grant
her a request she had to make. She hung round her neck, and endeavoured
to prevail by a thousand engaging infantine arts; and when she found
they would not succeed, she knelt down before her, and with all the
grace and importunity of the most amiable suppliant, tried to win her to
compliance. Nothing would avail, for Miss Melvyn was convinced by her
earnestness that her design was to confer some favour; she knew the
generosity of her youthful mind too well to believe she so ardently
aimed at any thing that was for her own private gratification.

Thus Louisa found herself reduced to explain the use she intended to
have made of the promise she wanted to obtain; and having acquainted
Miss Melvyn with Mr Hintman's generous allowance, and of the payment she
had received of the first quarter, she in explicit terms told her, 'Mr
Hintman has indeed given me money, but it depends on you to make that
money yield me pleasure, by suffering me to apply it to such uses as
will procure me the inexpressible joy of contributing in some degree to
the pleasure of one who renders my life so very happy.'

Miss Melvyn was so pleased with the generosity of her little pupil that
she gave her as many caresses as the other had lavished on her in order
to obtain the promise she so much wished for; but she could not be
induced to grant her request. Miss Melvyn was void of that pride which
often conceals itself under the name of spirit and greatness of soul;
and makes people averse to receiving an obligation because they feel
themselves too proud to be grateful, and think that to be obliged
implies an inferiority which their pride cannot support. Had Louisa been
of the same age with herself, she would have felt a kind of property in
all she possessed; friendship, the tenure by which she held it; for
where hearts are strictly united, she had no notion of any distinction
in things of less importance, the adventitious goods of fortune. The
boundaries and barriers raised by those two watchful and suspicious
enemies, Meum and Tuum, were in her opinion broke down by true
friendship; and all property laid in one undistinguished common; b