was even often tempted to put them to a stronger trial than he had hitherto done—that of urging her no longer to delay their perfect union, but immediately unite her destiny to his by a private marriage; but the idea of this was again banished by the thought of plunging the woman he loved into the poverty and ruin of sharing with him his adverse circumstances, and thus so ill repaying her generous confidence.
Notwithstanding this constraint, to which he felt bound to submit, a sentiment of sweet delight stole over him when he contemplated the pure, the virtuous affection which his Oriana, with that unreserve so natural to her, had invariably expressed for him. He blessed Providence for having bestowed upon him this great felicity, this great reward for every evil inclination he had conquered, this great stimulus to every good and laudable action he hoped still in humility to perform.
Oriana, on her part, whenever Philimore was the theme of her encomiums, often said to Rosilia that she would be contented to remain most part of her life in the single state, provided she could indulge in the happy certainty of being in the end united to Philimore. What a comfort was it to Oriana, to find in her sister that dear and tender confidant, in whom she could thus repose her
