and did me the honour to assure me, that my conversation would be balm to her heart, if she could enjoy it without mixt company.
Your Ladyship will see, however, from what I have mentioned of her regard for me, that I had made use of my time in the two pasts days to ingratiate myself into the favour of your Clementina. She will have me call her nothing but Clementina: Excuse therefore, madam, the freedom of my stile.
She engaged me last night to give her a lesson, as she called it, in an English author. I was surprised at her proficiency in my native tongue. Ah my dear! said I, what an admirable manner of teaching must your tutor have had, if I am to judge by the great progress you have made in so short a time, in the acquiring of a tongue that has not the sweetness of your own, tho' it has a force and expressiveness that is more than equal, I think, to any of the modern languages!
She blushed—Do you think so? said she—And I saw, by the turn of her eye, and her consciousness, that I had no need to hint to her Count Marulli, nor any other man.
I took upon me, without pushing her, just then, upon the supposed light dropt in from this little incident, to mention the Count of Belvedere with distinction, as the Marquis had desired I would.
She said, She could not by any means think of him.
I told her, that as all her family approved highly of the Count, I thought they were intitled to know her objections; and to judge of the reasonableness or unreasonableness of them. Indeed, my dear, said I, you do not, in this point, treat your father and mother with the dutifulness that their indulgence deserves.

She started. That is severely said, is it not, madam?
Consider of it, my dear, and if you pronounce it so, after an hour's reflection, I will call it so, and ask your pardon.
I am afraid, said she, I am in fault. I have the best and most indulgent of parents. There are some things, some secrets, that one cannot be forward to divulge. One should perhaps be commanded out of them with a high hand.
Your acknowlegement, my dear, said I, is more generous than the occasion given for it: But if you will not think me impertinent—
Don't, don't, ask me too close questions, madam, interrupted she; I am