The Master Of The Hotel Perceiving Her Scruples, Readily Did As He Was Ordered, And Louisa Having Desired That He, Or Some Of His People, Would Be Within Call, Went Down To Receive This Unknown Gent, Tho' Not Without Emotions, Which At That Moment She Knew Not How To Account For.

But soon after she was seized with infinitely greater, when, entering the parlour, she found it was no other than Dorilaus who had given her this anxiety.

- Surprize at the sight of a person whom, of all the world, she could least have expected in that place, made her at first start back; and conscious shame for having, as she thought, so ill rewarded his goodness, mixed with a certain awe which she had for no other person but himself, occasioned such a trembling, as rendered her unable either to retire or move forward to salute him, as she otherwise would have done.

He saw the confusion she was in, and willing to give it an immediate relief, ran to her, and taking her in his arms, - my dear, dear child, said he, am I so happy to see thee once more! - Oh! sir, returned she disengaging herself from his embrace, and falling at his feet! - How can I look upon you after having flown from your protection, and given you such cause to think me the most ungrateful creature in the world!

It was heaven, answered he, that inspired you with that abhorrence of my offers, which, had you accepted, we must both have been eternally undone! - You are my daughter, Louisa! pursued he, my own natural daughter! - Rise then, and take a father's blessing.

All that can be said of astonishment would be far short of what she felt at these words: - the happiness seemed so great she could not think it real, tho' uttered from mouth she knew unaccustomed to deceit: - a hundred times, without giving him leave to satisfy her doubts, did she cry out, My father! - my father! - my real father! - How can it be! - Is there a possibility that Louisa owes her being to Dorilaus!

Yes, my Louisa, answered he, and flatter myself, by what I have observed of your disposition, you have done nothing, since our parting, that might prevent my glorying in being the parent of such a child.

The hurry of spirit she was in, prevented her from taking notice of these last words, or at least from making any answer to them, and she still continued crying out, - Dorilaus, my father! - Good heaven! may I believe I am so blessed? - Who then is my mother! - Wherefore have I been so long ignorant of what I was! - And how is the joyful secret at last revealed!

All these things you shall be fully informed of, answered he; in the mean time be satisfied I do not deceive you, and am indeed your father: transported to find my long lost child, whom I myself knew not was so till I believed her gone for ever; - a thousand times I have wished both you and Horatio were my children, but little suspected you were so, till after his too eager ambition deprived me of him, and my mistaken love drove you to seek a refuge among strangers.

Tears of joy and tenderness now bedewed the faces of both father and daughter: - silence for some moments succeeded the late acclamations; but Dorilaus at length finding her fully convinced she was as happy as he said she was, and entirely freed from all those apprehensions which had occasioned her flying from him, told her he was settled in Paris; that he lived just opposite to the house where she had stood up on account of the shower, and happening to be at one of his windows immediately knew her; that he sent a servant after her, who had enquired how long she had been arrived, and in what manner she came; that he had sent for her with no other intent then to make trial how she would resent it, and was transported to find her answer such as he hoped and had expected from her: - he added, that he had all the anxiety of a father to hear by what means she had been supported, and the motive which induced her to travel in the habit of a pilgrim, as the matter of the hotel had informed his servant; but that he would defer his satisfaction till she should be in a place more becoming his daughter.

On concluding these words he called for the master of the hotel, and having defrayed what little expences she had been at since her coming there, took her by the hand and led her to his chariot, which soon brought them to a magnificent, house, and furnished in a manner answerable to the birth and fortune of the owner.

Louisa had all this time seemed like one in a dream: - she had ever loved Dorilaus with a filial affection; and to find herself really his daughter, to be snatched at once from all those cares which attend penury, when accompanied with virtue, and an abhorrence of entering into measures inconsistent with the strictest honour, to be relieved from every want, and in a station which commanded respect and homage, was such a surcharge of felicity, that she was less able to support than all the fatigues she had gone thro' - Surprize and joy made her appear more dull and stupid than she had ever been in her whole life before; and Dorilaus was obliged to repeat all he had said over and over again, to bring her into her usual composedness, and enable her to give him the satisfaction he required.

But as soon as she had, by degrees, recollected herself, she modestly related all that had happened to her from the time she left him; - the methods by which she endeavoured to earn her bread, - the insults she was exposed to at mrs. C - l - ge's; - the way she came acquainted with Melanthe; - the kindness shown her by that lady; - their travels together; - the base stratagem made use of by count de Bellfleur to ruin her with that lady - the honourable position monsieur du Plessis had professed for her; - the seasonable assistance he had given her, in that iminent danger she was in from the count's unlawful designs upon her; - his placing her afterwards in the monastry, - the treachery of the abbess; - the artifice she had been obliged to make use of to get out of the nunnery; - her pilgrimage; - in fine, concealed no part of her adventures, only that which related to the passion she had for du Plessis, which she endeavoured, as much as she could, to disguise, under the names of gratitude for the obligations he had conferred upon her, and admiration of his virtue, so different from what she had found in others who had addressed her.

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