Page:The genius - Carl Grosse tr Joseph Trapp 1796.djvu/367

 The aversion which I felt, of making new female acquaintances, inspired me with a kind of natural dislike to her person. She had once been the idol of my soul, and my pride was now flattered with the idea of my having not only nothing more to dread from her charms, but even of seeing it was in my power to humble her with the loss of them, if she should urge me to recur to such an extremity.

With these sensations I entered her drawing-room. She rose from her sopha, and stept forwards to receive us with a blush, a downcast eye, and a modest curtsey.

The count to draw her out of her perplexity, took me by the hand, "madam," quoth he, "our good friend is come hither to taste the sweets of friendship, being perhaps weary of love." This put Caroline into countenance, and she answered, "Don Carlos is welcome, but it would be a pity, if he had renounced the suavities of the noblest of passions."

The conversation soon grew warm and sentimental, and in less then ten minutes my