CHAP. II.
Relates the offers made by Dorilaus to Louisa, and the manner of her
receiving them.
Louisa was no sooner gone, than he wished her with him again, and was a
thousand times about to send and have her brought back; but was as often
prevented by the apprehensions of her discovering the motive. - He was
now convinced that love does not always stand in need of being indulged
to enforce its votaries to be guilty of extravagancies.
- He had banished the object of his affections from his presence; he had
painted all the inconveniences of pursuing his desires in the worst
colours they would bear; yet all was insufficient! - Louisa was absent in
reality, but her image was ever present to him. - Whatever company he
engaged himself in, whatever amusement he endeavoured to entertain
himself with, he could think only of her.
- The Town without her seemed a desart, and every thing in it rather
seemed irksome than agreeable; for several months did he endure this
cruel conflict; but love and nature at last got the victory, and all
those considerations which had occasioned the opposition subsided: he
found it impossible to recover any tranquility of mind while he
continued in this dilemma, and therefore yielded to the strongest side.
All the arguments he had used with himself in the beginning of his
passion seemed now weak and trifling: the difference of age, which he
had thought so formidable an objection, appeared none in the light with
which he at present considered it: he was now but in his fortieth year,
and the temperance he had always observed had hindered any decay either
in his looks or constitution. - What censures the world might pass on
his marrying one of her age and obscure birth, he thought were of little
weight when balanced with his internal peace. - Thus was he enabled to
answer to himself all that could be offered against making her his wife;
and having thus settled every thing, as he imagined, to the satisfaction
of his passion, became no less resolute in following the dictates of it
than he had been in combating it while there was a possibility of
doing so.
To this end he went down to his country seat, and as soon as he arrived
sent to let Louisa know he would have her come and pass some time with
him. She readily obeyed the summons, and found by his manner of
receiving her that she was no less dear to him than her brother.
