ndation, it is not only disingenuous but
dishonest. If she does, it is a coarse and not very honorable stratagem
for getting her off. But if the daughter be indeed all that a mother's
partial fondness believes," added she, her eyes filling with tears of
tenderness, "how can she be in such haste to deprive herself of the
solace of her life? How can she by gross acts wound that delicacy in her
daughter, which, to a man of refinement, would be one of her chief
attractions, and which will be lowered in his esteem, by the suspicion
that she may concur in the indiscretion of the mother.

"As to Lucilla," added she, "Mr. Stanley and I sometimes say to each
other, 'Little children, keep yourselves from idols!' O my dear young
friend! it is in vain to dissemble her unaffected worth and sweetness.
She is not only our delightful companion, but our confidential friend.
We encourage her to give us her opinion on matters of business, as well
as of taste; and having reflected as well as read a good deal, she is
not destitute of materials on which to exercise her reasoning powers. We
have never repressed her natural vivacity, because we never saw it, like
Ph[oe]be's, in danger of carrying her off from the straight line."

I thanked Mrs. Stanley for her affectionate frankness, with a warmth
which showed the cordial interest I took in her, who was the object of
it: company coming in, interrupted our interesting tete-a-tete.

After tea, I observed the party in the saloon to be thinner than usual.
Sir John and Lady Belfield having withdrawn to write letters; and that
individual having quitted the room, whose presence would have reconciled
me to the absence of all the rest, I stole out to take a solitary walk.
At the distance of a quarter of a mile from the park-gate, on a little
common, I observed, for the first time, the smallest and neatest cottage
I ever beheld. There was a flourishing young orchard behind it, and a
little court full of flowers in front. But I was particularly attracted
by a beautiful rose-tree, in full blossom, which grew against the house,
and almost covered the clean white walls. As I knew this sort of rose
was a particular favorite of Lucilla's I opened the low wicket which led
into the little court, and I looked about for some living creature, of
whom I might have begged the flowers. But seeing no one, I ventured to
gather a bunch of the roses, and the door being open, walked into the
house, in order to acknowledg