take notice of, in a state of mind so very little different from her own. At last, with faltering accents, she said I had made a very ill choice of a counsellor in a matter in which she was so ignorant.-- Adding, at last, 'I believe, Mr. Booth, you gentlemen want very little advice in these affairs, which you all understand better than we do.'
'I will relate no more of our conversation at present; indeed I am afraid I tire you with too many particulars.'
'O, no!' answered she; 'I should be glad to hear every step of an amour which had so tender a beginning. Tell me everything you said or did, if you can remember it.'
He then proceeded, and so will we in the next chapter.
Chapter 2
Mr. Booth Continues His Story. In This Chapter There Are Some Passages That May Serve As A Kind Of Touchstone By Which A Young Lady May Examine The Heart Of Her Lover. I Would Advise, Therefore, That Every Lover Be Obliged To Read It Over In The Presence Of His Mistress, And That She Carefully Watch His Emotions While He Is Reading
'I was under the utmost concern,' cries Booth, 'when I retired from my visit, and had reflected coolly on what I had said. I now saw plainly that I had made downright love to Amelia; and I feared, such was my vanity, that I had already gone too far, and been too successful. Feared! do I say? could I fear what I hoped? how shall I describe the anxiety of my mind?'
'You need give yourself no great pain,' cried Miss Matthews, 'to describe what I can so easily guess. To be honest with you, Mr. Booth, I do not agree with your lady's opinion that the men have a superior understanding in the matters of love. Men are often blind to the passions of women: but every woman is as quick-sighted as a hawk on these occasions; nor is there one article in the whole science which is not understood by all our sex.'
'However, madam,' said Mr. Booth, 'I now undertook to deceive Amelia. I abstained three days from seeing her; to say the truth, I endeavoured to work myself up to a resolution of leaving her for ever: but when I could not so far subdue my passion---But why do I talk nonsense of subduing passion?--I should say, when no other passion could surmount my love, I returned to visit her; and now I attempted the strangest project which ever entered into the silly head of a lover. This was to persuade Amelia that I was really in love in another place, and had literally expressed my meaning when I asked her advice and desired her to be my confidante.
'I therefore forged a meeting to have been between me and my imaginary mistress since I had last seen Amelia, and related the particulars, as well as I could invent them, which had passed at our conversation.
'Poor Amelia presently swallowed this bait; and, as she hath told me since, absolutely believed me to be in earnest. Poor dear love! how should the sincerest of hearts have any idea of deceit? for, with all her simplicity, I assure you she is the most sensible woman in the world.'
'It is highly generous and good in you,' said Miss Matthews, with a sly sneer, 'to impute to honesty what others would, perhaps, call credulity.'
'I protest, madam,' answered he, 'I do her no more than justice. A good heart will at all times betray the best head in the world.--- Well, madam, my angel was now, if possible, more confused than before. She looked so silly, you can hardly believe it.'
'Yes, yes, I can,' answered the lady, with a laugh, 'I can believe it.--Well, well, go on.'--'After some hesitation,' cried he, 'my Amelia said faintly to me, 'Mr. Booth, you use me very ill; you desire me to be your confidante, and conceal from me the name of your mistress.'
'Is it possible then, madam,' answered I, 'that you cannot guess her, when I tell you she is one of your acquaintance, and lives in this town?'
''My acquaintance!' said she: 'La! Mr. Booth--In this town! I--I--I thought I could have guessed for once; but I have an ill talent that way--I will never attempt to guess anything again.' Indeed I do her an
