to expatiate on the absurdity, and the worse than absurdity, of scrupling to engage my faith where my honour was already bound. The event has proved that I was a cunning fool, providing with great circumspection for a possible opportunity of making myself contemptible and wretched forever. At last, however, my resolution was taken, and I had determined, as soon as I could engage her alone, to justify the attentions I had so invariably paid her, and openly assure her of an affection which I had already taken such pains to display. But in the interim⁠—in the interim of the very few hours that were to pass, before I could have an opportunity of speaking with her in private⁠—a circumstance occurred⁠—an unlucky circumstance, to ruin all my resolution, and with it all my comfort. A discovery took place,”⁠—here he hesitated and looked down. “ Mrs. Smith had somehow or other been informed, I imagine by some distant relation, whose interest it was to deprive me of her favour, of an affair, a connection⁠—but I need not explain myself farther,” he added, looking at her with an heightened colour and an enquiring eye⁠—“your particular intimacy⁠—you have probably heard the whole story long ago.”