me, as she spoke!]--Is it not, Frank?

I was confounded. I paused for a moment. A deep and heavy sigh
involuntarily burst from me. I endeavoured to be firm, but I stammered
out--Madam--it is.

I am convinced he is jealous of me. Nay he fears me; though he scorns
me too much to think so meanly of himself. Yet he fears me. And what is
worse, Oliver, I fear him! I blush for my own debility. But let me not
endeavour to conceal my weakness. No: it must be encountered, and
cured. His quick and audacious eye was searching me, while I struggled
to think, and rid myself of confusion; and he discovered more than gave
him pleasure.--She continued.

I know of no prejudice more pernicious to the moral conduct of youth
than that of this unconquerable passion of love. Any and all of our
passions are unconquerable, whenever we shall be weak enough to think
them so. Does not the gamester plead the unconquerableness of his
passion? The drunkard, the man of anger, the revengeful, the envious,
the covetous, the jealous, have they not all the same plea? With the
selfish and the feeble passion succeeds to passion as different habits
give birth to each, and the last passion proves more unconquerable than
its predecessor. How frequently do we see people in the very fever of
this unconquerable passion of love, which disappears for the rest of
their lives, after a few weeks possession of the object whom they had
so passionately loved! How often do they as passionately hate; while
the violence of their hatred and of their love is perhaps equally
guilty!

Sir Arthur I observed was happy to join in this new doctrine; which