ld no other ways look upon, than I behold your Perfections--Wrong not
your Creature with a Thought, he can be guilty of that horrid Impiety as
once to doubt your Vertue--Heavens! (cry'd he, starting up) 'am I so
really blessed to see you once again! May I trust my Sight?--Or does my
fancy now only more strongly work?--For still I did preserve your Image
in my Heart, and you were ever present to my dearest Thoughts.--

'Enough Hippolito, enough of Rapture (said she) you cannot much accuse me
of Ingratitude; for you see I have not been unmindful of you; but
moderate your Joy till I have told you my Condition, and if for my sake
you are raised to this Delight, it is not of a long continuance.

At that (as Aurelian tells the Story) a Sigh diffused a mournful
sweetness through the Air, and liquid grief fell gently from her Eyes,
triumphant sadness sat upon her Brow, and even sorrow seem'd delighted
with the Conquest he had made. See what a change Aurelian felt! His
Heart bled Tears, and trembled in his Breast; Sighs struggling for a vent
had choaked each others passage up: His Floods of Joys were all supprest;
cold doubts and fears had chill'd 'em with a sudden Frost, and he was
troubled to excess; yet knew not why. Well, the Learned say it was
Sympathy; and I am always of the Opinion with the Learned, if they speak
first.

After a World of Condoleance had passed between them, he prevailed with
her to tell him her Story. So having put all her Sighs into one great
Sigh, she discharged her self of 'em all at once, and formed the Relation
you are just about to Read.

'Having been in my Infancy Contracted to a Man I could never endure, and
now by my Parents being likely to be forced to Marry him, is in short,
the great occasion of my grief. I fansy'd (continued she) something so
Generous in your Countenance, and uncommon in your Behaviour, while you
were diverting your self, and rallying me with Expressions of Gallantry,
at the Ball, as induced me to hold Conference with you. I now freely
confess to you, out of design, That if things should happen as I then
feared, and as now they are come to pass, I might rely upon your
assistance in a matter of Concern; and in which I would sooner chuse to
depend upon a generous Stranger, than any Acquaintance I have. What
Mirth and Freedom I then put on, were, I can assure you, far distant from
my Heart; but I did violence to my self out of Complaisance to your
Temper.--I knew you