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n extend to any other man。  All the time; she was making signals; playing off her pretty person; and having occasional interviews in the street with this very man; whom she could only have taken so sudden and violent a liking to him from his looks; his personal appearance; and what she probably conjectured of his circumstances。  Her sister had married a counsellorthe Miss F's; who kept the house before; had done so tooand so would she。  〃There was a precedent for it。〃  Yet if she was so desperately enamoured of this new acquaintance; if he had displaced THE LITTLE IMAGE from her breast; if he was become her SECOND 〃unalterable attachment〃 (which I would have given my life to have been) why continue the same unwarrantable familiarities with me to the last; and promise that they should be renewed on my return (if I had not unfortunately stumbled upon the truth to her aunt) and yet keep up the same refined cant about her old attachment all the time; as if it was that which stood in the way of my pretensions; and not her faithlessness to it?  〃If one swerves from one; one shall swerve from another〃was her excuse for not returning my regard。  Yet that which I thought a prophecy; was I suspect a history。  She had swerved twice from her avowed engagements; first to me; and then from me to another。  If she made a fool of me; what did she make of her lover?  I fancy he has put that question to himself。  I said nothing to him about the amount of the presents; which is another damning circumstance; that might have opened my eyes long before; but they were shut by my fond affection; which 〃turned all to favour and to prettiness。〃  She cannot be supposed to have kept up an appearance of old regard to me; from a fear of hurting my feelings by her desertion; for she not only shewed herself indifferent to; but evidently triumphed in my sufferings; and heaped every kind of insult and indignity upon them。  I must have incurred her contempt and resentment by my mistaken delicacy at different times; and her manner; when I have hinted at becoming a reformed man in this respect; convinces me of it。  〃She hated it!〃 She always hated whatever she liked most。  She 〃hated Mr。 C's red slippers;〃 when he first came!  One more count finishes the indictment。  She not only discovered the most hardened indifference to the feelings of others; she has not shewn the least regard to her own character; or shame when she was detected。  When found out; she seemed to say; 〃Well; what if I am?  I have played the game as long as I could; and if I could keep it up no longer; it was not for want of good will!〃  Her colouring once or twice is the only sign of grace she has exhibited。  Such is the creature on whom I had thrown away my heart and soul…one who was incapable of feeling the commonest emotions of human nature; as they regarded herself or any one else。  〃She had no feelings with respect to herself;〃 she often said。  She in fact knows what she is; and recoils from the good opinion or sympathy of others; which she feels to be founded on a deception; so that my overweening opinion of her must have appeared like irony; or direct insult。  My seeing her in the street has gone a good way to satisfy me。  Her manner there explains her manner in…doors to be conscious and overdone; and besides; she looks but indifferently。  She is diminutive in stature; and her measured step and timid air do not suit these public airings。  I am afraid she will soon grow common to my imagination; as well as worthless in herself。  Her image seems fast 〃going into the wastes of time;〃 like a weed that the wave bears farther and farther from me。  Alas! thou poor hapless weed; when I entirely lose sight of thee; and for ever; no flower will ever bloom on earth to glad my heart again!







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