The manner in which this request was urged, had somewhat in it too obliging, for Natura to have denied, in good manners, even if his inclinations had been opposite; but indeed he was too much charmed with the conversation of the lovely abbess, and her fair associates, to be desirous of quitting it. — He not only stayed that night, but also, on their continuing to ask it, many succeeding ones. — He lay in the apartment above-mentioned, breakfasted, dined, and supped in the convent, as if a pensioner in the place, always in the same company, and ambitious of no other.
The gallantries with which he treated the abbess, were as tender as innocence would permit; nor did he presume to harbour any views of being happier with her than he was at present.
But see! the strange caprice of love! It was not through a coldness of constitution, nor any confederations of her quality and function, which rendered him so content with enjoying no more of her than her conversation; nor that hindered him from taking advantage of many advances she made him, whenever they were alone, of becoming more particular; but it was the progress Elgidia every day made in his esteem: — the more he saw that beautiful young lady, the more he thought her charming; and every time she spoke discovered to him a new fund of wit, and sweetness of disposition: — it was not in her power to erase the first impression her sister had made on him, but it was to stop the admiration he had for her from growing up into a passion: — whenever he saw either of them alone, he thought her most amiable he was with; and when they were together, he was divided between both.
For upwards of a month did he continue in the same place, and in the same situation of mind; but then either the abbess's own good sense, or the advice of some friend, remonstrating to her, that so long a stay of a young gentleman, who was known to be not of her kindred, might occasion discourses to her disreputation, and that of the monastery in general; she took the opportunity one day, when he was making an offer of going, as he frequently did, to speak to him in this manner:
“I know not how,” said she, “to part with you, and I flatter myself you think of going, rather because you imagine your tarrying here for any length of time, might be inconvenient for us, than because you are tired of the reception you have found here.”
“Ah madam!” cried he, “be assured I could live for ever here; — and that I only grieve that such a hope is impossible. — If what you now say is sincere,” answered she, “you may at least prolong the happiness we at present enjoy: — but I shall put you to the proof,” continued she, looking on him with eyes in which the most eager passion was visibly painted, — “to hush the tongue of censure, you shall remove to a town about seven miles distant, where there are many good houses, in one of which you may lodge, under pretence of liking the air of this country, and visit us, as other of our friends do, as frequently as you please, without endangering any remarks, even though you should stay with us three or four nights at a time.”
Natura was so ravished at this proposal, and the kind, almost fond manner, in which it was made, that he catched hold of her hand, and kissed it, with a vehemence not conformable to a Platonic affection: — she seemed, however, far from being offended at his boldness, which had perhaps proceeded to greater lengths, had not Elgidia at that instant come into the room. — The abbess was a little disconcerted, but to conceal it as well as she could, “sister,” said she, “I have made our guest the proposal I mentioned to you this morning, and leave you to second it”: with these words she withdrew.
Elgidia appeared in little less confusion than her sister had done; but Natura was in infinitely more than either of them. — The sudden sight of her who possessed at least half of his affections, just in the moment he was in a kind of rapture with another, struck him like the ghost of a departed mistress; and tho' he had never made any declaration of love either to the one or the other, yet his heart reproached him with a secret perfidy, and he durst scarce lift his eyes to her face, when with a timid voice he at last said, “Madam, may I hope you take any interest in what your sister has been speaking of?” — “You may be sure I do,” replied she, “in all that concerns the abbess; as to my farther sentiments on your staying or going, they can be of no consequence to you.” — “How, madam!” resumed he, by this time a little re-assured, “of no consequence! You know nothing of my heart, if you know it not incapable of forming the least wish but to please you.”
He said many other tender and gallant things to her, in order to engage her to add her commands to those of the abbess; but, either the belief that he was wholly devoted to that lady, or the natural reserve of her temper, would suffer her to let him draw no more from her, than that she should share in the happiness her sister proposed to herself, in his continuing so near them.
But tho' Elgidia could command her words, she could not have so much power over her eyes as to keep them from betraying a tenderness not inferior to that of her sister; and Natura had the satisfaction of finding he was beloved by both these amiable women, without thinking himself so far attached to either, as not to be able to break off whenever he pleased.