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DUTY AND INCLINATION.
67

heart which, when unregulated, strengthens by opposition, and the greater the difficulties that accumulate, the greater is its ardour to overcome them.

Melliphant contrived to join Rosilia as if by accident, hastening round to a turning in one of the alleys just in time to present himself before her, well knowing that by such means she would be prevented from avoiding him. He held in his hand Werter—the leaves were open as if he had been newly reading it. The insinuations of Melliphant during their last interview, however slightly and delicately conveyed, had not escaped Rosilia, as bearing some allusion to the impression the nurse had previously endeavoured to make on her mind, when she said, "Well, miss, however you are now inclined to disbelieve my words, ere long you will find them verified."

Wishing to throw a check upon any further advance in Melliphant, yet struck with the idea that it might give a too great importance to his sentiments, did she manifest a desire to shun him, she bent her steps in a direction leading, by a circuit round the garden, to the door whence she purposed returning home. Melliphant walked by her side in silence.

"I have been amusing myself," said he at length, "with looking over Werter, for the purpose of examining strictly whether any of its parts produce aught in reality of a nature sufficiently censurable, to throw a general opprobrium upon the whole; instead of which, the more I examine, I find how infinitely the author has excelled in sentiment and de-