offered to swear again--but he stopped her, and begged her not to swear till she had well considered; then she confessed he made her a visit, but that she used him with that pride and scorn, that if he were a man of honour he could never bear; and she was sure he would trouble her no more: in fine, she flattered, fawned, and jilted so, as no woman, common in the trade of sinful love, could be so great a mistress of the art. He suffered her to go on, in all that could confirm him she thought him an errant coxcomb; and all that could render her the most contemptible of her sex. He was pleased, because it made him despise her; and that was easier than adoring her; yet, though he heard her with scorn, he heard her with too much love. When she was even breathless with eager prostitution--he cried, ‘Ah, indiscreet and unadvised _Sylvia_, how I pity thee!’ ‘Ah,’ said she--observing him speak this with a scornful smile--’Is it possible, you should indeed be offended for a simple visit! which neither was by my invitation or wish: can you be angry, if I treat _Philander_ with the civility of a brother? Or rather, that I suffer him to see me, to receive my reproaches?’--’Stop here,’ said he, ‘thou fair deluding flatterer, or thou art for ever ruined. Do not charge thy soul yet farther;--do not delude me on--all yet I can forgive as I am dying, but should I live, I could not promise thee. Add not new crimes by cozening me anew; for I shall find out truth, though it lie hid even in the bottom of _Philander_’., heart.’ This he spoke with an air of fierceness--which seeing her grow pale upon, he sunk again to compassion, and in a soft voice cried--’Whatever injuries thou hast done my honour, thy word, and faith to me, and my poor heart, I can perhaps forgive when you dare utter truth: there is some honesty in that’--She once more embracing him, fell anew to protesting her ill treatment of _Philander_, how she gave him back his vows, and assured him she would never be reconciled to him. ‘And did you part so, _Sylvia_?’ replied the dying _Octavio_. ‘Upon my honour,’ said she, ’.ust so.’--’Did you not kiss at parting?’ said he faintly.--’Just kissed, as friends, no more, by all thy love.’ At this he bursts into tears, and cried--’Oh! why, when I reposed my heart with thee, and lavished out my very soul in love, could I not merit this poor recompense of being fairly dealt with? Behold this sword--I took it from your _toilet_; view it, it is _Philander_’.; myself this morning took it from your table: no more--since you may guess the fatal rest: I am undone, and I am satisfied--I had a thousand warnings of my fate, but still the beauty charmed, and my too good nature yielded: oft you have cozened me, and oft I saw it, and still love made me willing to forgive; the foolish passion hung upon my soul, and soothed me into peace.’ _Sylvia_, quite confounded, (not so much with the knowledge he had of the unlucky adventure, as at her so earnestly denying and