The Ball Being Ended, These Ladies Carried With Them Very Different
Emotions, Tho' Neither Communicated To The Other What She Felt.
Melanthe
had a kind of awe for those virtuous principles she observed in Louisa,
tho' so much her inferior
And dependant, and was ashamed to confess her
liking of the count should have brought her to such lengths; not that
she intended to keep it always a secret from her, but chose she should
find it out by degrees; and these thoughts so much engrossed her, that
she said little to her that night. Louisa, for her part, having lost the
presence of her agreeable partner, was busy in supplying that deficiency
with the idea of him; so that each having meditations of her own of the
most interesting nature, had not leisure to observe the thoughtfulness
of the other, much less to enquire the motive of it.
One of the great reasons that we find love so irresistable, is, that it
enters into the heart with so much subtilty, that it is not to be
perceived till it has gathered too much strength to be repulsed. If
Louisa had imagined herself in any danger from the merits of monsieur du
Plessis, she would at least have been less easily overcome by them: - she
had been accustomed to be pleased with the conversation of many who had
entertained her as he had done, but thought no more of them, or any
thing they said, when out of their company; but it was otherways with
her now: not a word he had spoke, not a glance he had given, but was
imprinted in her mind: - her memory ran over every little action a
thousand and a thousand times, and represented all as augmented with
some grace peculiar to himself, and infinitely superior to any thing she
had ever seen: - not even sleep could shut him out; - thro' her closed
eyes she saw the pleasing vision; and fancy, active in the cause of
love, formed new and various scenes, which to her waking thoughts were
wholly strangers.
Melanthe also past the night in ideas which, tho' experienced in, were
not less ravishing: she was not of a temper to put any constraint on her
inclinations; and having entertained the most amorous ones for the count
de Bellfleur, easily overcame all scruples that might have hindered the
gratification of them: - her head ran on the appointment she had made
him: - the means she would take to engage his constancy, - resolved to
sell the reversion of her jointure and accompany him to France, and
flattered herself with the most pleasing images of a long series of
continued happiness in the arms of him, who was now all to her that
Henricus ever had been.
Full of these meditations she rose, and soon after received from the
subject of them a billet, containing these words:
To the charming MELANTHE.
MADAM,
"Tho' the transporting promise you made
me of refusing admittance to all company
but mine, is a new instance of your goodness,
yet I cannot but think we should be still more
secure from interruption at a place I have taken
care to provide.
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