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out a train of admirers. She had already attracted every one worthy of the trouble; and had listened to their compliments and insolent presumptions, until she was almost tired of both; when Miss Egerton related to her the countess's rencontre with the gallant foreigner.

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As soon as her ladyship heard that he was of rank, (for Miss Egerton was not backward to affirm the dreams of her own imagination,) she formed an earnest wish to see him and when, to her infinite satisfaction, he did present himself, in her eyes he exceeded every thing that had been described. To secure such a conquest, she thought would not only raise the envy of the women, but make the men look about them, to discover some novel and more attractive way than they had hitherto found, to prove the truth of their devotion.

Whilst Lady Sara was meditating on her new plans, the count and Lady Tinemouth

mouth remained alone. Her ladyship talked to him on various subjects; but he answered ill upon them all, and sometimes very wide of the matter. At last, conscious that he must be burthensome, he arose, and, looking paler and more depressed than when he entered, wished her a good morning.

"I am afraid, Mr. Constantine, you are unwell."

Thaddeus, like most people who desire to hide what is passing in their minds, gladly assented to this as an excuse for a taciturnity which he could not overcome.

"Then," cried her ladyship, "I hope you will favour me with your card, that I may know where to send to inquire after your health."

Thaddeus was confounded, and looked down for a moment; then, returning into the room, he took up a pen, which lay on the table and said,

"I will write my address to a place,

where

where any of your ladyship's commands. may reach me; but I will do myself the honour to repeat my call very soon."

"I shall always be happy to see you," replied the countess, while he was writing; "but, before I engage you in a promise, of which you may afterwards repent, I must tell you, that you will meet with dull entertainment at my house. I sce very little company; and were it not for the inexhaustible spirits of Miss Egerton, I believe I should become a complete misanthrope."

"Your house will be my paradise!" exclaimed the count, with an earnestness, to the force of which he did not immediately attend.

Lady Tinemouth smiled.

"I must warn you here, too," cried she; "Miss Egerton must not be the deity of your paradise. She is already under engagements, which preclude all hope on that head."

Thad

Thaddeus blushed at being mistaken, and wished to explain himself.

"You misunderstand me, madam. I am not insensible to beauty; but, upon my word, at that moment, I had nothing else in my thoughts, than gratitude for your ladyship's kindness to an absolute stranger."

"That is true, Mr. Constantine, you are an absolute stranger, if the want of a formal introduction, and an ignorance of your family, constitute that title. But your protection introduced you to me; and there is something in your appearance, which convinces me, that I need not be afraid of admitting you into the very scanty number of my friends."

Thaddeus perceived the delicacy of Lady Tinemouth, who wished to know who he was, and yet was unwilling to give him pain by a question so direct, that he must answer it. As she now proposed it, she left him entirely to his own discretion; and he determined, as far as he could,

could, without exposing his real name and circumstances, to satisfy her very proper curiosity.

The countess, whose benevolent heart was deeply interested in his favour, observed the changes of his countenance with an anxious desire that he would be ingenuous. Her solicitude did not arise. from any doubts of his quality and worth, but she wished to be enabled to reply with promptness to the inquisitive people who might see him at her house.

"I hardly know," said Thaddeus, "in what words to express my sense of your ladyship's generous confidence in me; and that my character is not undeserving of such distinction, time, I trust, will prove." He paused for a moment, and then resumed: "For my rank, Lady Tinemouth, it is now of little consequence to my comfort; rather, perhaps, a source of mortification; for," he hesitated, and then proceeded, with a faint colour tinging his cheek, "exiles from their country,

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