
believe the same Ruin was intended for you at the same Place. The Apprehension
of which occasioned the Letter I sent you this Morning, and all the Trial of
your Patience which I have made since.«
    Amelia gave her a tender Embrace, with many Expressions of the warmest
Gratitude; assured her, she had pretty well recovered her Spirits, and begged
her to continue her Story; which Mrs. Bennet then did. However, as our Readers
may likewise be glad to recover their Spirits also, we shall here put an End to
this Chapter.
 

                                  Chapter VII

                          The Story farther continued.

Mrs. Bennet proceeded thus:
    »I was at length, prevailed on to accompany Mrs. Ellison to the Masquerade.
Here, I must confess, the Pleasantness of the Place, the Variety of the Dresses,
and the Novelty of the Thing gave me much Delight, and raised my Fancy to the
highest Pitch. As I was entirely void of all Suspicion, my Mind threw off all
Reserve, and Pleasure only filled my Thoughts. Innocence, it is true, possessed
my Heart; but it was Innocence unguarded, intoxicated with foolish Desires, and
liable to every Temptation. During the first two Hours, we had many trifling
Adventures, not worth remembering. At length my Lord joined us, and continued
with me all the Evening; and we danced several Dances together.
    I need not, I believe, tell you, Madam, how engaging his Conversation is. I
wish I could with Truth say, I was not pleased with it; or, at least, that I had
a Right to be pleased with it. But I will disguise Nothing from you: I now began
to discover, that he had some Affection for me; but he had already too firm a
Footing in my Esteem, to make the Discovery shocking. I will - I will own the
Truth; I was delighted with perceiving a Passion in him, which I was not
unwilling to think he had had from the Beginning, and to derive his having
concealed it so long, from his Awe of my Virtue, and his Respect to my
Understanding. I assure you, Madam, at the same Time, my Intentions were never
to exceed the Bounds of Innocence. I was charmed with the Delicacy of his
Passion; and in the foolish, thoughtless Turn of Mind, in which I then was, I
fancied I might give some very distant Encouragement to such a Passion in such a
Man, with the utmost Safety; that I might indulge my Vanity and Interest at
once, without being guilty of the least Injury.
    I know
