ainted him with every particular that had passed
between that young gentleman, his sister, and herself, touching the
affair she was accused of.

She was so minute in every circumstance, answered with such readiness to
all the questions he asked of her, and seemed so perfectly at ease, as
indeed she was, that the baron could no longer have any doubts of her
sincerity, and was sorry he had taken her so abruptly from St. Germains:
he now told her, that she was at liberty to visit there as frequently as
she pleased, only, as he had been affronted by old monsieur de Coigney,
as well as to silence all future reports concerning the young gentleman,
he expected she would break off all acquaintance with mademoiselle. She
assured him of her obedience in this point, and added, that she could do
it without any difficulty; for tho' she was a lady who had many good
qualities, and one for whom she once had a friendship, yet the taking
upon her to forward her brother's designs had occasioned a strangeness
between them, which had already more than half anticipated his commands.

Monsieur the baron de Palfoy was now as well satisfied with his daughter
as he had lately been the reverse, and she was allowed once more all
those innocent liberties which the French ladies, above those of any
other nation in the world, enjoy.

It is not to be doubted but that the first use she made of liberty was
to go to St. Germains: she had heard from mademoiselle de Coigney, when
she came to visit her, that Horatio had been very much indisposed, and
at that time was not quite recovered, and was impatient to give him all
the consolation that the sight of her could afford; but fearing she
should not have an opportunity of speaking to him in private, she wrote
a letter, containing a full recital of the reason which had induced her
father to take her from St. Germains, and the happy mistake he had been
in concerning de Coigney; concluding with letting him know he might
sometimes visit her at Paris as an indifferent acquaintance, not the
least suspicion being entertained of him, and the baron now in so good a
humour with her, that it would not be easy for any one to make him give
credit to any informations to her prejudice. The whole was dictated by a
spirit of tenderness, which, tho' it did not plainly confess an
affection, implied every thing an honourable lover could either
expect or hope.

On her arrival at St. Germains, where there was an extreme full c