future lover. Her mind was
naturally refined, and she looked for that elegance and grace of
deportment which she sought for in vain among her countrymen, but which
had suddenly been presented to her in the person of Edward Ramsay.

In the few meetings of her father's friends at their house, the
conversation was uninteresting, if not disgusting; for it was about
goods and merchandise, money and speculation, occasionally interrupted
by politics, which were to her of as little interest. How different was
the demeanour, the address, and the conversation of the young
Englishman, who had been bred in courts, and, at the same time, had
travelled much! There was an interest in all he said, so much
information blended with novelty and amusement, so much wit and
pleasantry crowning all, that Wilhelmina was fascinated without her
being aware of it; and, before the terms of intimacy had warranted her
receiving his hand on meeting, she had already unconsciously given her
heart. The opportunities arising from her father's close attention to
his commercial affairs, and the mutual attraction which brought them
together during the major part of the day, she, anxious to be amused,
and he attracted by her youth and beauty, were taken advantage of by
them both, and the consequence was that, before ten days, they were
inseparable.

The syndic either did not perceive the danger to which his child was
exposed, provided that there was any objection to the intimacy, or else,
equally pleased with Ramsay, he had no objection to matters taking
their course.

As for Ramsay, that he had at first cultivated the intimacy with
Wilhelmina more perhaps from distraction than with any definite purpose,
is certain; but he soon found that her attractions were too great to
permit him to continue it, if he had not serious intentions. When he had
entered his own room, before he had been a week in the house, he had
taxed himself severely as to the nature of his feelings, and he was then
convinced that he must avoid her company, which was impossible if he
remained in the house, or, as a man of honour, make a timely retreat;
for Ramsay was too honourable to trifle with the feelings of an innocent
girl. Having well weighed this point, he then calculated the probability
of his being discovered, and the propriety of his continuing his
attentions to the daughter of one whom he was deceiving, and whose
political opinions were at such variance with his own--but this