would marry him: He would be happy. Put for me to refume new ties! my friend, I never was leis inclined to think of it.

The Marquis de Montalais is arrived; did I tell you? Have you heard from Madame de Lugei? I am going to furprise you. We are at variance with each other; yes, abfolutely at variance. i do not know why that lady thould pretend to regulate my conduct, and choofe my friends. Fatigued with her letions, I have ceased to go and tire myfelf at her fad dinners. I am willing you fhould fcold me a little, my dear Count, but do not become the arbiter of our quarrel; and above all, undertake not to bring us together. Adieu. I have executed your requests.

LETTER III.

YES, I fee the Marquis de Montalais often. I

fup almost every evening in company with him. Good God! You are right. This man is an enchanter. He amufes, charms, interefts. He has revived the pleafures of our fociety. He makes the joy of it. Sought after, preferred, careffed, he retains that modeity, which fo eminently distinguishes him; a rare quality in an amiable man; yes rare, and perhaps dangerous.

Madame de Martigues cannot imagine how the could live fix months without feeing Montalais. She listens to, admires, and applauds the leat thing he fays. She withes every one to be charmed with him, and feriously fcolds when any perfon dares to think differently. Count de Piennes fees like her, taiks like her. The most fmiling reception, a thousand praises bestowed on the Marquis, do not give a moment's uneafinefs to an unfortunate and jealous løver. Is not this fingular, furpring?

The perfon of whom you fpeak with fo much warmth, is quite unknown to me. I did not know that my mother had a kinfwoman married in Brittany, and without doubt the herfelf did not know it. If Madame de Kerlanes is of the family of Eftelan, (a family which is dear to me on every account) I am ready to comply with your wifhes; and if 2,000 guineas can facilitate the eftablishment of Mademoifelle de Kerlanes, I confent with all my heart to give them.

more untrue.

But what a ftory have you heard! Nothing is I do not poffefs the property of the family of Eftelan; it had paffed into the hands of ftrangers long before my birth. Indeed the lait Count of this name left me the riches he brought from Martinique; but the Marshal de Tende did not persuade him to name me his univerfal legatee; the large eftate of Monf. d'Eftelan was not the caufe of my union with the nephew of the Marfhal; this kind relation intended me for Monf. de Sancerre, when my fortune was very moderate, and I did not expect this brilliant addition. I owe an entire juftification to the memory of Marshal de Tende. His generous friendthip induced him to with me his niece. He defired iny happiness, and thought to render it certain. The ill fuccefs of his endeavours has not weakened my gratitude. I fhall always recollect with pain and regret that it has not been in my power to prove it to him.

Undeceive Madame de Kerlanes, undeceive her, I pray you. The brother of my mother voluntarily left me his effate. I will inform you of the reafons he had for difinheriting his fon. No, I aflure you he never was persuaded by any one to fubfcribe this deed of vengeance, juft in his own view, raih in mine. As a relation of Madame de Kerlanes, I believe I owe her nothing; but as a perfon more favoured by fortune than fhe, I believe I owe her affistance, and

it will give me pleafure to oblige her. Madame de Mariadek might fpare her preffing folicitations. Want is, with me, the ftrongest recommendation. I thought the fifter of Count Nance knew me well enough to think fo.

in.

Madame de Mirande is going out; fhe begs me to thank you for your kind wishes. Her hopes increase every moment. Madame de Themines comes Here the is, beautiful, lively, charming; fhe wishes to tell you a thousand things; the is writing them. I will put her gazette in my letter. Adieu, my friend; I am fad; I know not why. Monf. de' Montalais is at Verfailles. I had it not in my power to comply with your wishes relating to him.

LETTER IV.

AH! you had juft received a letter from Ma

dame de Lugei when you wrote to me. The politenefs of your expreffions cannot hide the Ipirit which dictated them to you, nor efface the afperity of my fevere kinfwoman. I defpife that fort of prudence of which she boasts so much. I begin by telling it to you. I think every kind of affectation odious. But I wish to answer your obfervations as if the Marchionefs de Lugei had not engaged you to communicate hers.

You are right in blaming the levity of my friend. Exact in her principles, inconfiderate in her conduct, Madame de Martigues is too regardless of the good opinion of others. She difdains all constraint for the purpofe of avoiding any malignant interpretations of her words, or any falfe conjectures which her iteps may fometimes feem to authorife. Her ideas are often foolith; the is too lively; too pofitive

in doing precifely what pleafes and amufes her. For examle, her fancy to prove Count de Fiennes continues entirely too long. A marriage anrou ced, delayed, broken off, quarrels, and reconciliations; a lover difmilled, recalled, admated and rejected, ten times within two years. And yet this lover remains attached to her, and accommodates himself to all ber caprices. Madame de Lugei putting the unpleasant quetion, wonders how a man who is ill treated can have fo much patience? She admires him for this virtue, when in fact it does not belong to him. Eẹ is inceffantly complaining, continually embarraffing the friends of Madame de Martigues, calling upon every one to intreat her for him, and is perhaps by his importunities at a greater ditance from the gra tification of his wifhes, than he might be otherwife.

Indeed my dear Count, it would be doing a cruel injuftice to Madame de Martigues to fufpect her of the fmalleit weaknefs. Satisfied with the approbation of her own heart, the refpect of her lover, the efteem of her friends, fhe can eally content herfelf, notwithstanding the doubts, the fears and quietudes which have arifen in the mind of Madame de Lugei. This woman, fall of apprehenions, would attract, would engrofs every thing. The heedleisnels of Madame de Martigues, the fays, wounds her; no, it is not this; it is the envy the feels at feeing her furrounded with that numerous circle of acquaintances whom her amiable temper and the charms of her converfation conitantly invite to her houfe. Some perfon is coming to interrupt me; it is the; it is this dangerous companion, the object of my preference. We are going out together. I will fin my letter after fupper.

[Midnight.

My dear Count, that I may not be obliged to return to fo difagreeable a tubject, i will exhault it, and will repeat to you what i have a minured-tines

told a 'a e le Lugei. The opinion of others fhall never govera my fentiments. My heart is my fu preme judge. If Madame de Martigues had the misfortune to be fufpeted, I should grieve, I hould be truly diftreffed; nothing could confole me; but I Would not ceafe to vifit my friend constantly; I would rather run the rifque of having an unjust cenfure, than affist by remaining aloof, to credit or extend it

It would not be the first time that, facrificing my own intereft to my principles, I inould fee m feif the obiect of the falfe ideas of that part of the world whofe attention is ever fixed with jaundiced eye on the actions of others. How many idle fpectators are always ready to pronounce prefumptuouily upon what they fee, often more presumptuously upon what they do not know!

me.

At the time when every cne was against me, when I paired at court, and in the city, for a proud woman, of a difficult temper, always fad, always enveloped in a thade of ill humour; when they thought me capricious, haughty, incapable of living with the most indulgent hulband by whom I was chem rished and adored, Madame de Martigues was the only perfon who judged me favourably. Her friendfhip rendered her penetrating; the difcovered qualities which without knowing me, they dared to deny Often did the come to partake of my folitude; fhe quitted, for my fake, the world which he loved; The brought me friends; the affured all hers tha. I fuffered ditrefs which my fentiments of propriety forbad me to reveal. She induced Madame de Min rande to come and relide with me; he defended, with fpirit, my mind, my heart and my character. And all I act with fels generolity towards her? No alluredly; but I have not the occalion to prove to her my gratitude by a return of the like kinunefs; thank God, I never hail: excepting Madame de Lugei, no one pretends to form injurious dodois re