"She was the friend of my youth, the kind patroness of my felicity! My guardian angel forsook me when she expired! Her last injunctions are deep engraver on my heart!" While he pronounced these words, she lifted her handkerchief to her fair eyes, and, after some pause, proceeded in a tremulous tone, "I hope, sir, -- I hope you have--I should be sorry--Pardon me, sir, I cannot reflect upon such an interesting subject unmoved"-- Here she fetched a deep sigh, that was accompanied by a flood of tears; while the knight continued to bend his eyes upon her with the utmost eagerness of attention.
Having recollected herself a little, she endeavoured to shift the conversation: "You have been abroad since I had the pleasure to see you -- I hope you were agreeably amused in your travels."-- "No, madam," said our hero, drooping his head; "I have been unfortunate." When she, with the most enchanting sweetness of benevolence, expressed her concern to hear he had been unhappy, and her hope that his misfortunes were not past remedy; he lifted up his eyes, and fixing them upon her again, with a look of tender dejection, "Cut off," said he, "from the possession of what my soul held most dear, I wished for death, and was visited by distraction.

I have been abandoned by my reason--my youth is for ever blasted." The tender heart of Aurelia could bear no more--her knees began to totter, the lustre vanished from her eyes, and she fainted in the arms of her attendant.

Sir Launcelot, aroused by this circumstance, assisted Dolly in seating her mistress on a couch, where she soon recovered, and saw the knight on his knees before her.

"I am still happy," said he, "in being able to move your compassion, though I have been held unworthy of your esteem."-- "Do me justice," she replied; "my best esteem has been always inseparably connected with the character of Sir Launcelot Greaves."-- "Is it possible ?" cried our hero; "then surely I have no reason to complain.

If I have moved your compassion, and possess your esteem, I am but one degree short of supreme happiness--that, however, is a gigantic step.