Sick Man so readily, upon the first hint was not amiss, and smil'd to
think of his Excuse to procure her Handkerchief; and last of all, his
sifting out the Means to write to her, which he had done with that
Modesty and Respect, she could not tell how to find fault with it.

She had proceeded thus far in a maze of Thought, when she started to find
her self so lost to her Reason, and would have trod back again that path
of deluding Fancy; accusing her self of Fondness, and inconsiderate
Easiness, in giving Credit to the Letter of a Person whose Face she never
saw, and whose first Acquaintance with her was a Treachery, and he who
could so readily deliver his Tongue of a Lye upon a Surprize, was scarce
to be trusted when he had sufficient Time allow'd him to beget a Fiction,
and Means to perfect the Birth.

How did she know this to be Aurelian, if he were? Nay farther, put it to
the Extremity, What if she should upon farther Conversation with him
proceed to Love him? What Hopes were there for her? Or how could she
consent to Marry a Man already Destined for another Woman? nay, a Woman
that was her Friend, whose Marrying with him was to compleat the happy
Reconciliation of Two Noble Families, and which might prevent the
Effusion of much Blood likely to be shed in that Quarrel: Besides, she
should incurr share of the Guilt, which he would draw upon him by
Disobedience to his Father, whom she was sure would not be consenting to
it.

'Tis strange now, but all Accounts agree, that just here Leonora, who had
run like a violent Stream against Aurelian hitherto, now retorted with as
much precipitation in his Favour. I could never get any Body to give me
a satisfactory reason, for her suddain and dextrous Change of Opinion
just at that stop, which made me conclude she could not help it; and that