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56 Interested alone at those parts which held up virtue to her view, allusions or double entendres passed upon the ear of Rosilia unheard, or without point. The remarks of Sir Howard, during the whole of the performance, were entirely directed towards Mrs. De Brooke and the widow; whilst the artful Melliphant engaged Rosilia—mild, humble, sensible, in all he said or looked, who could have supposed his heart harboured such deceit within!

The play being over, Sir Howard, who had not yet spoken to Rosilia, observed that her bouquet, which was but a short time before so fresh and humid, began to show symptoms of decline.

"And thus," added Melliphant, "love and beauty are imaged by that myrtle and rose, alike perishable!"

"The reason," observed Sir Howard, "they ought to be gathered; since no sooner are they ripe, than they fall to decay. Is it not better, then, they should perish there on a bed so soft, rather than scatter their perfumes to the wind."

Rosilia was so much accustomed to the language of flattery from Sir Howard, that his remarks of this nature were seldom attended to by her; were it otherwise, however, the subtle inuendos his words on some occasions conveyed, were lost on her like blunted arrows; they left no impression on her mind, nor sullied the purity of her thoughts.

The concluding observation of Sir Howard catching her ear, she divested herself of her faded