and suffered any important and pressing avocation to delay the
tribute of daily tears. She then yielded to less occasions, and
sometimes forgot what she was indeed afraid to remember, and at
last wholly released herself from the duty of periodical
affliction.

Her real love of Pekuah was not yet diminished. A thousand
occurrences brought her back to memory, and a thousand wants, which
nothing but the confidence of friendship can supply, made her
frequently regretted. She therefore solicited Imlac never to
desist from inquiry, and to leave no art of intelligence untried,
that at least she might have the comfort of knowing that she did
not suffer by negligence or sluggishness. "Yet what," said she,
"is to be expected from our pursuit of happiness, when we find the
state of life to be such that happiness itself is the cause of
misery? Why should we endeavour to attain that of which the
possession cannot be secured? I shall henceforward fear to yield
my heart to excellence, however bright, or to fondness, however
tender, lest I should lose again what I have lost in Pekuah."



CHAPTER XXXVII--THE PRINCESS HEARS NEWS OF PEKUAH.



In seven mouths one of the messengers who had been sent away upon
the day when the promise was drawn from the Princess, returned,
after many unsuccessful rambles, from the borders of Nubia, with an
account that Pekuah was in the hands of an Arab chief, who