 only studied my child's real happiness, the assiduity of Mr. Williams
pleased me, as he was in easy circumstances, prudent, and sincere. It required
but very little encouragement to revive his former passion; so that in an
evening or two he and Mr. Thornhill met at our house, and surveyed each other
for some time with looks of anger: but Williams owed his landlord no rent, and
little regarded his indignation. Olivia, on her side, acted the coquet to
perfection, if that might be called acting which was her real character,
pretending to lavish all her tenderness on her new lover. Mr. Thornhill appeared
quite dejected at this preference, and with a pensive air took leave, though I
own it puzzled me to find him so much in pain as he appeared to be, when he had
it in his power so easily to remove the cause, by declaring an honourable
passion. But whatever uneasiness he seemed to endure, it could easily be
perceived that Olivia's anguish was still greater. After any of these interviews
between her lovers, of which there were several, she usually retired to
solitude, and there indulged her grief. It was in such a situation I found her
one evening, after she had been for some time supporting a fictitious gayety. -
»You now see, my child,« said I, »that your confidence in Mr. Thornhill's
passion was all a dream: he permits the rivalry of another, every way his
inferior, though he knows it lies in his power to secure you to himself by a
candid declaration.« - »Yes, pappa,« returned she, »but he has his reasons for
this delay: I know he has. The sincerity of his looks and words convince me of
his real esteem. A short time, I hope, will discover the generosity of his
sentiments, and convince you that my opinion of him has been more just than
yours.« - »Olivia, my darling,« returned I, »every scheme that has been hitherto
pursued to compel him to a declaration, has been proposed and planned by
yourself, nor can you in the least say that I have constrained you. But you must
not suppose, my dear, that I will ever be instrumental in suffering his honest
rival to be the dupe of your ill-placed passion. Whatever time you require to
bring your fancied admirer to an explanation shall be granted; but at the
expiration of that term, if he is still regardless, I must absolutely insist
that honest Mr. Williams shall be rewarded
