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 in her estimation, and love and esteem were soon united to gratitude and respect.

The Countess determined not to receive any visitors, nor if possible let her arrival at the chateau be known, till she had recovered from the fatigue occasioned by the dissipations of Paris. But the total retirement in which she at present lived, neither tired nor depressed Madeline; with the Countess, it was, indeed, impossible to experience any dullness; she had received and profited by all the advantages of a liberal education; and her almost constant intercourse with the great world, contributed, as well as her knowledge of books, to render her conversation entertaining and instructive. But not alone by her conversation did she try to enliven their solitude; she varied it by excursions about the domain and to the most romantic places in its neighbourhood.

She also diversified it, by seeing carried into execution a number of benevolent