nce; and civility produced
intimacy. Mary sometimes left her friend with them; while she indulged
herself in viewing new modes of life, and searching out the causes which
produced them. She had a metaphysical turn, which inclined her to
reflect on every object that passed by her; and her mind was not like a
mirror, which receives every floating image, but does not retain them:
she had not any prejudices, for every opinion was examined before it was
adopted.

The Roman Catholic ceremonies attracted her attention, and gave rise to
conversations when they all met; and one of the gentlemen continually
introduced deistical notions, when he ridiculed the pageantry they all
were surprised at observing. Mary thought of both the subjects, the
Romish tenets, and the deistical doubts; and though not a sceptic,
thought it right to examine the evidence on which her faith was built.
She read Butler's Analogy, and some other authors: and these researches
made her a christian from conviction, and she learned charity,
particularly with respect to sectaries; saw that apparently good and
solid arguments might take their rise from different points of view; and
she rejoiced to find that those she should not concur with had some
reason on their side.

CHAP. XI.

When I mentioned the three ladies, I said they were fashionable women;
and it was all the praise, as a faithful historian, I could bestow on
them; the only thing in which they were consistent. I forgot to mention
that they were all of one family, a mother, her daughter, and niece. The
daughter was sent by her physician, to avoid a northerly winter; the
mother, her niece, and nephew, accompanied her.

They were people of rank; but unfortunately, though of an ancient
family, the title had descended to a very remote branch--a branch they
took care to be intimate with; and servilely copied the Countess's
airs. Their minds were shackled with a set of notions concerning
propriety, the fitness of things for the world's eye, trammels which
always hamper weak people. What will the world say? was the first thing
that was thought of, when they intended doing any thing they had not
done before. Or what would the Countess do on such an occasion? And when
this question was answered, the right or wrong was discovered without
the trouble of their having any idea of the matter in their own heads.
This same Countess was a fine planet, and the satellites observed a most
harmonic dance arou