 who had honoured her with her
confidence for some time, - that in consequence of that trust, she had often
repeated the story of John Brown, with great admiration and regard; that she
loved to dwell upon the particulars of his character, and did not scruple to own
a tender approbation of his flame - I became delirious with this piece of
intelligence, strained Miss Williams in my embrace, called her the angel of my
happiness, and acted such extravagancies, that she would have been convinced of
my sincerity, had not my honour been clear enough to her before - As soon as I
was in a condition to yield attention, she described the present situation of
her mistress, who had no sooner come home the night before, than she closeted
her, and in a rapture of joy, gave her to know that she had seen me at the ball,
where I appeared in the character which she always thought my due, with such
advantage of transformation, that unless my image had been engraven on her
heart, it would have been impossible to know me for the person who had worn her
aunt's livery; - that by the language of my eyes, she was assured of the
continuance of my passion for her, and consequently of my being unengaged to any
other; and that though she did not doubt, I would speedily fall upon some method
of being introduced, she was so impatient to hear of me, that she (Miss
Williams) had been sent abroad this very morning, on purpose to learn tidings of
the name and character I at present bore. - My bosom had been hitherto a
stranger to such a flood of joy as now rushed upon it: My faculties were
over-born by the tide: It was some time, before I could open my mouth; and much
longer 'ere I could utter a coherent sentence - At length, I fervently requested
her to lead me immediately to the object of my adoration: but she resisted my
importunity, and explained the danger of such premature conduct - »How
favourable soever (said she) my lady's inclination towards you may be, this you
may depend upon, that she will not commit the smallest trespass on decorum,
either in disclosing her own, or in receiving a declaration of your passion: and
altho' the great veneration I have for you, has prompted me to reveal what she
communicated to me in confidence, I know so well the severity of her sentiments
with respect to the punctilios of her sex, that, if she should learn the least
surmise of it, she would not only dismiss
