 will not undertake to determine; yet so far may be material to
say, as we can with sufficient Certainty, that the Change in Booth's Behaviour
that Day, from what was usual with him, was remarkable enough. None of his
former Vivacity appeared in his Conversation; and his Countenance was altered
from being the Picture of Sweetness and good Humour, not indeed to Sourness or
Moroseness, but to Gravity and Melancholy.
    Tho' the Colonel's Suspicion had the Effect which we have mentioned on his
Behaviour; yet it could not persuade him to depart. In short, he sat in his
Chair as if confined to it by Enchantment, stealing Looks now and then, and
humouring his growing Passion, without having Command enough over his Limbs to
carry him out of the Room, till Decency at last forced him to put an end to his
preposterous Visit. When the Husband and Wife were left alone together; the
latter resumed the Subject of her Children, and gave Booth a particular
Narrative of all that had past at his Lordship's, which he, tho' something had
certainly disconcerted him, affected to receive with all the Pleasure he could;
and this Affectation, however aukwardly he acted his Part, passed very well on
Amelia: for she could not well conceive a Displeasure, of which she had not the
least Hint of any Cause; and indeed at a time, when from his Reconciliation with
James, she imagined her Husband to be entirely and perfectly happy.
    The greatest Part of that Night Booth past awake; and if during the Residue
he might be said to sleep, he could scarce be said to enjoy Repose; his Eyes
were no sooner closed, than he was pursued and haunted by the most frightful and
terrifying Dreams, which threw him into so restless a Condition, that he soon
disturbed his Amelia, and greatly alarmed her with Apprehensions that he had
been seized by some dreadful Disease, tho' he had not the least Symptoms of a
Fever by any extraordinary Heat, or any other Indication, but was rather colder
than usual.
    As Booth assured his Wife that he was very well, but found no Inclination to
sleep, she likewise bid adieu to her Slumbers, and attempted to entertain him
with her Conversation. Upon which his Lordship occurred as the first Topic; and
she repeated to him all the Stories which she had heard from Mrs. Ellison of the
Peer's Goodness to his Sister and his Nephew and Niece. »It is impossible, my
dear,« says she, »to describe their Fondness for their Uncle, which is to me an
