. He possessed a genteel fortune, and had a liberal education;
dissipated, thoughtless, and capricious, he paid little regard to
the moral duties, and less to religious ones: eager in the pursuit of
pleasure, he minded not the miseries he inflicted on others, provided
his own wishes, however extravagant, were gratified. Self, darling self,
was the idol he worshipped, and to that he would have sacrificed
the interest and happiness of all mankind. Such was the friend of
Montraville: will not the reader be ready to imagine, that the man who
could regard such a character, must be actuated by the same feelings,
follow the same pursuits, and be equally unworthy with the person to
whom he thus gave his confidence?

But Montraville was a different character: generous in his disposition,
liberal in his opinions, and good-natured almost to a fault; yet eager
and impetuous in the pursuit of a favorite object, he staid not to
reflect on the consequence which might follow the attainment of his
wishes; with a mind ever open to conviction, had he been so fortunate
as to possess a friend who would have pointed out the cruelty of
endeavouring to gain the heart of an innocent artless girl, when he
knew it was utterly impossible for him to marry her, and when the
gratification of his passion would be unavoidable infamy and misery to
her, and a cause of never-ceasing remorse to himself: had these dreadful
consequences been placed before him in a proper light, the humanity of
his nature would have urged him to give up the pursuit: but Belcour
was not this friend; he rather encouraged the growing passion of
Montraville; and being pleased with the vivacity of Mademoiselle,
resolved to leave no argument untried, which he thought might prevail on
her to be the companion of their intended voyage; and he made no doubt
but her example, added to the rhetoric of Montraville, would persuade
Charlotte to go with them.

Charlotte had, when she went out to meet Montraville, flattered herself
that her resolution was not to be shaken, and that, conscious of the
impropriety of her conduct in having a clandestine intercourse with a
stranger, she would never repeat the indiscretion.

But alas! poor Charlotte, she knew not the deceitfulness of her own
heart, or she would have avoided the trial of her stability.

Montraville was tender, eloquent, ardent, and yet respectful. "Shall I
not see you once more," said he, "before I leave England? will you not
ble