in following up his advantages with her, that, rather than allow Grandison to triumph over him, he consented to make the desired proposal to her. The countess hastened to seek her, for the purpose of bringing him to her; and on inquiring about her, on not finding her within, heard from one of the servants who had accidentally seen her entering, that she was gone to Mr. Dundonald's. The visit had too much the appearance of a stolen one not to alarm her ladyship; it instantly occurred to her that she was gone to complain to him of the affront she had received from lord Castle Dermot, and insist on his interfering, to prevent her being any further teazed about him. Communicating her suspicions to his lordship, she proposed their directly following, to prevent the mischief this complaint might occasion; and having fully decided on proposing for Fidelia, he made no objection. He certainly knew there would not be quite so much celebrity in obtaining a wife of his own, as in carrying off the wife of another person; but then Fidelia was so handsome-he knew not but that he might be as great an object of envy from one circumstance as anothera consideration that had no small weight with him. CHAPTER IV. "Hope is a lover's staff-walk hence with that, THE manner in which Dundonald received them quickly dispelled the countess's apprehension of his participating in the resentment she imputed to Fidelia; but again was she a little alarmed by the deadly paleness that overspread the cheek of the latter at their entrance. She was not of a temper to allow herself long to remain in suspense; scarcely was she seated, ere she opened the purpose for which she was come, concluding by entreating Dundonald to use his influence with his daughter to induce her to acquiesce in her wishes and lord Castle Dermot's. "I should hope," said his lordship, attempting to take her hand, "that her own heart will plead for me." "Should it not," said Dundonald"should she remain insensible to the high honour your lordship has done her, by me she shall no longer be considered as a daughter." In what a predicament did she find herself! Surrounded, environed where her remonstrances, her entreaties would be disregarded, she attempted to escape from the room, but was prevented; lady Castle Dermot hung about her, lord Castle Dermot supplicated, her father threatened, threatened with even looks of savage ferocity, fearful of irreparable injury to his own views if she offended the countess by persisting in her rejection of her son, and anticipating from the reverse the most pleasing consequences. At length Fidelia besought at least a little further time for consideration; but her entreaty was disre garded; and at last, abscutely overpowered by the urgency with which she was assailed, a scarcely-uttered compliance was wrung from her. But scarcely had the caresses it occasioned convinced her of the promise she had given, ere her sickening heart shrunk with recoiling dismay, and tears gushed from her eyes. Yet why repent? why regret she had not been more resolute? To have braved the displeasure of her father, to have risked the friendship of the countess would it have been to allow her to realize her secret wishes, or confer happiness on another? No-compelled, as she was, by the most powerful motives to resist all the ardour, the tenderness of that other, was not lord Castle Dermot all that the generality of the world admire? and would not her union with him secure to her at least one unalterable friend? But these arguments failed of immediate effect; and alarmed at seeing her so affected, lest, in pique at the circumstance, her volatile and conceited son should retreat from his engagement, lady Castle Dermot proposed her returning immediately with her, leaving lord Castle Dermot to follow in the evening with her father. Fidelia gladly consented; but his lordship objected a little to the proposal, till informed Grandison was expected to dinner by Dundonald, when his anxiety to witness the first effect of the communication he had to receive upon him induced him to stay. By the time they reached home Fidelia had sufficiently recovered herself to be able to listen with languid smiles to the arguments made use of by the countess for the purpose of restoring her to composure; it was a great relief, however, to her exhausted spirits, to find, on her arrival there, that two old ladies, distant neighbours of the countess, had come to dine en famille with her. She was sitting by one of the drawingroom windows after dinner, when the party from her father's appeared in sight; involuntarily she started on her feet on seeing Grandison approaching the house, |