silia, who found herself thus betrayed into an unfortunate intercourse with him, notwithstanding her late persevering efforts to avoid it: to terminate this, she rose with the intention of ringing for a servant, to learn whether she could yet see Mrs. Belmour.
Melliphant, however, rose at the same time, and, with a look and air of the most impassioned ardour, approached her. Almost unconscious of what she did, Rosilia sunk into her chair again. Why should she refuse to hear Melliphant, now that moment so critical had arrived, in which she felt it incumbent upon her to annihilate for ever his hopes? His attachment for her was now conveyed in expressions that could not be misunderstood; it was not possible for her, therefore, any longer to assume ignorance of their true meaning as she had hitherto done. She prepared herself therefore to inflict upon him one of the severest wounds he had probably ever sustained.
Her bosom throbbed violently; Melliphant perceived it, and mistaking the cause was encouraged. The agitation he witnessed, however, sprung entirely from the peculiar unpleasantness of the situation in which, for the first time in her life, she found herself placed—alone! and left to act unsupported under a circumstance so important.
She spoke—her words were scarcely audible—something like a negative met his ear, but he was not certain. Racked by contending feelings of suspense and passion, Melliphant paced the room, till Rosilia, regaining courage, and wishing to put an end
