You know the old adage, '_varium et imutabile semper_.' Who knows but she may have changed her mind ?" "Is your uncle within ?" asked Hycy.
"No," replied his nephew, "he's gone to Fethertonge's upon some election business." "Could you not contrive," said Hycy, "to leave her and me together, then, and allow me to ascertain what I am to expect ?" "Come in," said Harry--"never say it again.

If I can I will." Hycy, as we have stated before, had vast confidence in his own powers of persuasion; and general influence with women, and on this occasion, his really handsome features were made vulgar by a smirk of self-conceit which he could not conceal, owing to his natural vanity and a presentiment of success that is almost inseparable from persons of his class, who can scarcely look even upon the most positive and decided rejection by a woman as coming seriously from her heart.

Even Harry Clinton himself, though but a young man, thought, as he afterwards stated to his sister, that he never saw Hycy have so much the appearance of a puppy as upon that occasion.

As had been proposed, he withdrew, however, and the lover being left in the drawing-room with Miss Clinton began, with a simper that was rather coxcombical, to make allusions to the weather, but in such a way as if there was some deep but delightful meaning veiled under his commonplaces.

At length he came directly to the 'point.
"But passing from the weather, Miss Clinton, to a much more agreeable topic, permit me to ask if you have ever turned your thoughts upon matrimony ?" The hectic of a moment, as Sterne.