for such humours must be insupportable to a husband.'- Pardon me,' cried Leander, If ever I should be betrayed into the idle act of marriage, I must be in one of those very humours myself: defend me from the dull uniformity of domestic life! What can be so insipid as the tame strain of nuptial harmony everlastingly repeated? Whatever other varieties I may then debar myself of, let me at least find a variety of whim in the woman I am to be fettered to. Upon my word,' exclaimed Adelisa, 'you would almost persuade me that we were destined for each other.' This she accompanied with one of those looks, in which she was most expert, and which was calculated at once to inspire and to betray sensibility: Leander, not yet so certain of his observations as to confide in them, seemed to receive this overture as a raillery, and affecting a laugh, replied-I do not think it is in the power of Destiny herself to determine either of us; for if you was for one moment in the humour to promise yourself to me, I am certain in the next you would retract it; and if I was fool enough to believe you, I should well deserve to be punished for my credulity: Hymen will never yoke us to each other, nor to any body else; but if you are in the mind to make a very harmless experiment of the little faith I put in all such promises, here is my hand; 'tis fit, the proposal should spring from my quarter and not yours; close with it as soon as you please, and laugh at me as much as you please, if I vent one murmur when you break the bargain. Well, then,' said Adelisa, unish you for the sauciness of your provoking ch ge, and to convince you that I do not credit this pretended indiffe

cessity, for he was not yet recovered enough to abide the chance of meeting her, and he had neither spirits nor inclination to start a fresh attachment by way of experiment upon her jealousy. Fortune however befriended him in the very moment of despair, for no sooner was he out of her sight, than the coquetish Adelisa found something wanting, which had been so familiar to her; that Leander, though despised when possest, when lost was regretted. In vain she culled her numerous admirers for some one to replace him; continually peevish and discontented, Adelisa became so intolerable to her lovers, that there seemed to be a spirit conjur ing up amongst them, which threatened her with a general desertion. What was to be done; her danger was alarming-it was imminent: she determined to recal Leander: she informed herself of his haunts, and threw herself in the way of a rencontre: but he avoided her: chance brought them to an interview, and she began by rallying him for his apostacy there was an anxiety under all this affected pleasantry, that she could not thoroughly conceal, and he did not fail to discover: he instantly deter. mined upon the very wisest measure, which deliberation could have formed; he combated her with her own weapons: he put himself apparently so much at his ease, and counterfeited his part so well, as effectually to deceive her: she had now a new task upon her hands, and the hardest as well as the most hazardous she had ever undertaken. She attempted to throw him off his guard by a pretended pity for his past sufferings, and a promise of kinder usage for the future: he denied that he had suffered any thing, and assured her that he never failed to be amused by her humours, which were perfectly agreeable to him at all times- then it is plain,' re plied she, that you never thought of me as a wife;

for such humours must be insupportable to a husband.' Pardon me,' cried Leander, If ever I should be betrayed into the idle act of marriage, I must be in one of those very humours myself: defend me from the dull uniformity of domestic life! What can be so insipid as the tame strain of nuptial harmony everlastingly repeated? Whatever other varieties I may then debar myself of, let me at least find a variety of whim in the woman 1 am to be fettered to. Upon my word,' exclaimed Adelisa,

you would almost persuade me that we were destined for each other.' This she accompanied with one of those looks, in which she was most expert, and which was calculated at once to inspire and to betray sensibility: Leander, not yet so certain of his observations as to confide in them, seemed to receive this overture as a raillery, and affecting a laugh, replied-‘I do not think it is in the power of Destiny herself to determine either of us; for if you was for one moment in the humour to promise yourself to me, I am certain in the next you would retract it; and if I was fool enough to believe you, I should well deserve to be punished for my credulity Hymen will never yoke us to each other, nor to any body else; but if you are in the mind to make a very harmless experiment of the little faith I put in all such promises, here is my hand; 'tis fit, the proposal should spring from my quarter and not yours; close with it as soon as you please, and laugh at me as much as you please, if I vent one murmur when you break the bargain. Well, then,' said Adelisa, to punish you for the sauciness of your provoking challenge, and to convince you that I do not credit you for this pretended indifference to my treatment of you, here is my hand, and with it my promise; and now I give you warning, that if ever I do keep it, 'twill be only from the

VOL. XL.

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E

conviction that I shall torment you more by fulfilling it than by flying from it.'-'Fairly declared,' cried Leander, and since my word is passed, I'll stand to it; but take notice, if I was not perfectly secure of being jilted, I should think myself in a fair way to be the most egregious dupe in nature.'

In this strain of mutual raillery they proceeded to settle the most serious business of their lives, and whilst neither would venture upon a confession of their passion, each seemed to rely upon the other for a discovery of it. They now broke up their conference in the gayest spirits imaginable, and Leander, upon parting, offered to make a bett of half his fortune with Adelisa, that she did not stand to her engagement, at the same time naming a certain day as the period of its taking place. And what shall I gain,' said she, in that case, by half your fortune, when I shall have a joint share in possession of the whole?'

6

Talk not of fortune,' cried Leander, giving loose to the rapture which he could no longer restrain, my heart, my happiness, my life itself is your's'-So saying, he caught her in his arms, pressed her eagerly to his embrace, and hastily departed.

No sooner was he out of her sight, than he began to expostulate with himself upon his indiscretion in the ecstacy of one unguarded moment, he had blasted all his schemes, and by exposing his weakness, armed her with fresh engines to torment him. In these reflections he passed the remainder of the night; in vain he strove to find some justifi. cation for his folly. he could not form his mind to believe that the tender looks she had bestowed upon him, were any other than an experiment upon his heart, to throw him from his guard, and re-establish her tyranny. With these impressions he presented

himself at her door next morning, and was imme. diately admitted: Adelisa was alone, and Leander immediately began, by saying to her I am now come to receive at your hands the punishment, which a man who cannot keep his own secret richly deserves; Isurrender myself to you, and I expect you will exert your utmost ingenuity in tormenting me; only remember that you cannot give a stab to my heart, without wounding your own image, which envelopes every part, and is too deeply impressed for even your cruelty totally to extirpate.'-At the conclusion of this speech, Adelisa's countenance became serious; she fixed her eyes upon the floor, and, after a pause, without taking any notice of Leander, and, as if she had been talking to herself in soliloquy, repeated, in a murmuring tone- Well, well, 'tis all over; but no matter.

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For the love

of Heaven,' cried Leander, in alarm, what is all over? All that is most delightful to woman,' she replied; all the luxury which the vanity of my sex enjoys in tormenting your's: oh, Leander, what charming projects of revenge had I contrived to punish your pretended indifference, and depend upon it, I would have executed them to the utmost rigour of the law of retaliation, had you not in one moment disarmed me of my malice by a fair confession of your love. Believe me, Leander, I never was a coquette but in self-defence; sincerity is my natural character; but how should a woman of any attractions be safe in such a character, when the whole circle of fashion abounds with artificial coxcombs, pretenders to sentiment, and professors of seduction? When the whole world is in arms against innocence, what is to become of the naked children of nature, if experience does not teach them the art of defence? If I have employed this art more particularly against you than others, why