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Updated: June 5, 2025
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.
Hold! said she, 'this is not a discourse fit for these sacred precincts. But these words were uttered in a sound, and accompanied with a look, which wholly took away their austerity, and it was easy for Natura to perceive by the manner in which they were spoke, as well as by a sigh, which escaped Elgidia at the same time, that neither of these ladies were in reality enemies to the passion he was defending.
But as if this was a day destined to produce nothing but extraordinary events, perceiving the abbess industriously avoided speaking to him, he had retired into the parlour to ruminate on the affair, when Elgidia came in to him, and with somewhat more gaiety than she was accustomed to, cried, 'What, alone, Natura! but I suppose you attend my sister, and I will not be any interruption'; and then turned to go out of the room.
Be that as it may, Elgidia suffered herself to be won by his perswasions; and being so, the present opportunity was not to be lost.
Natura, after having made his compliments to the gentleman on the occasion, enquired of her concerning the abbess and Elgidia; on which she informed him of all the particulars related in the preceding chapter; adding, that after the receipt of the two letters he had sent, the sisters came to a mutual understanding, each confessed her foible to the other, and the cause of their quarrel being for ever removed, a sincere reconciliation between them ensued.
This was the first proof he gave of a firmness of resolution, and was indeed as great a one as could have been expected from a man of the age he was: it must be owned, that at that time love is the strongest passion of the soul, and as neither Elgidia nor the abbess wanted charms to inspire it, and he had been but too sensible of the force of both, to be able, I say, to tear himself away in the manner he now did, was a piece of heroism, which I with every one in the like circumstance may have power to imitate.
With this view she led him one day into the garden, and being seated in a close arbour, where there was no danger of being overheard, 'Natura, said she, 'I doubt not but you may perceive, by the civilities I have treated you with, that you are not indifferent to me; but as you cannot be sensible to how great a degree my regard for you extends, it remains that I confess to you there is but one thing wanting to compleat the intire conquest of my heart'; 'and that is, continued she, fixing her eyes intently on his face, 'that you will cease for the future to pay those extraordinary assiduities to Elgidia you have lately done.
This disappointment destroyed all the remains of temperance had been left in her; she presently guessed the billet came from no other than Elgidia, doubted not but they were together, and figured in her mind a scene of tenderness between them so cruel to her imagination, that frenzy itself scarce exceeded what she endured: she rode back with even more precipitation than she had set out, and being alighted at the gate thro' the great walk, supposing Elgidia had brought him into her chamber, where, if she found them, thought of nothing, but sacrificing one or both of them to her resentment.
Emboldened by these words, 'Suppose, madam, returned he, 'I should confess to you that I was indulging the most passionate tenderness for the beautiful Elgidia! that her sweet idea is always present with me, and that I sometimes am presuming enough to cherish the hopes of not being hated by her': 'tell me, continued he, 'what punishment does this criminal deserve?
This asseveration could not be called altogether false, because he had really a latent inclination in him towards her, which all the tenderness he had for Elgidia could not eradicate; and this it was that gave all he said such an air of sincerity as won upon the abbess, to believe her jealousy had misinterpreted the looks she had sometimes seen him give her sister, and at length made her desist from reproaching him on that score.
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