That Melanthe
told her, it should be her own fault if she ever quitted her, and withal
assured her, she never would treat her in any other manner than a
companion, and that tho' she would make her a yearly allowance for
cloaths and card-money, yet she would expect no other service from her
than fidelity to her secrets, and affection to her person.
From the moment this agreement was made, the young Louisa regained her
complection and her appetite; and being now initiated into the family of
this lady, had no longer any care to take than to oblige her, a thing
not difficult, Melanthe being good-natured, and strongly prepossessed in
favour of her new friend, for so she vouchsafed to call her, and to use
her accordingly.
As a proof of it, she made her in a very short time the confident of her
dearest secrets: they were one day sitting together, when accidentally
some mention was made of the power of love. You are too young, Louisa,
said Melanthe, to have experienced the wonderful effects of that passion
in yourself, and therefore cannot be expected to have much compassion
for what it can inflict on others.
Indeed, madam, answered she, tho' I never have yet seen a man who gave
me a moment's pain on that score, yet I believe there are no emotions
whatever so strong as those of love, and that it is capable of
influencing people of the best sense to things which in their nature
they are most averse to.
Well, my dear, resumed the other, since I find you have so just a notion
of it, I will confide in your discretion so far as to let you know, that
but for an ungrateful man, I had not looked on my native country as a
desart, and resolved to seek a cure for my ill-treated and abused
tenderness in foreign parts.
My quality, continued she, I need not inform you of; you have doubtless
heard that my family yields to few in antiquity, and that there is an
estate belonging to it sufficient to support the dignity of its title;
but my father having many children, could not give very great portions
to the daughters: I was therefore disposed of, much against my
inclinations, to a nobleman, whom my unlucky charms had so much
captivated as to make him not only take me with no other dowry than my
cloaths and jewels, but also to settle a large jointure upon me, which,
he being dead, I at present enjoy. I cannot say that all the obligations
he laid upon me could engage a reciprocal regard: - I behaved with
indifference to him while living, and little lamented him when dead:
