it."

"The world is before you, answered Vincent; you have friends, you have
acquirements which will not fail you. In a country like this, you can
hardly fail of obtaining a competency, which, with the other requisites,
will ensure your independence and felicity."

Alonzo informed Vincent what had been agreed upon between Melissa and
himself, respecting his visiting her on the morrow; "after which, he
said, we will discourse further on the subject."

The next day Alonzo repaired to the house of Melissa's father. As he
approached he saw Melissa sitting in a shady recess at one end of the
garden near which the road passed. She was leaning with her head upon
her hand, in a pensive posture; a deep dejection was depicted upon her
features, which enlivened into a transient glow as soon as she saw
Alonzo. She arose, met him, and invited him into the house.

Alonzo was received with a cool reserve by all except Melissa. Her
father saluted him with a distant and retiring bow, as he passed with
Melissa to her room. As soon as they were seated, a maiden aunt, who had
doubled her teens, outlived many of her suiters, and who had lately come
to reside with the family, entered, and seated herself by the window,
alternately humming a tune, and impudently staring at Alonzo, without
speaking a word, except snappishly, to contradict Melissa in any thing
she advanced, which the latter passed off with only a faint smile.

This interruption was not of long continuance. Melissa's father entered,
and requested the two ladies to withdraw, which was instantly done. He
then addressed Alonzo as follows:----"When I gave consent for you to
marry my daughter, it was on the conviction that your future resources
would be adequate to support her honourably and independently.
Circumstances have since taken place, which render this point extremely
doubtful. Parental duty and affection demand that I should know your
means and prospects before I sanction a proceeding which may reduce my
child to penury and to want."

He paused for a reply, but Alonzo was silent. He continued--"You
yourself must acknowledge, that to burthen yourself with the expense of
a family; to transfer a woman from affluence to poverty, without even an
object in view to provide for either, would be the height of folly and
extravagance." Again he paused, but Alonzo was still silent. He
proceeded--"Could you, Alonzo, suffer life, when you see the wife of
your bosom, probably your i