Mary, who had quick suspicion Of her alter’d friend’s condition, Seeing Martha’s convalescence Less demanded now her presence, With a goodness built on reason, Changed her measures with the season, Turn’d her steps from Martha’s door, Went where she was wanted more; All her care and thoughts were set Now to tend on Margaret. Mary living ’twixt the two, From her home could oftener go Either of her friends to see Than they could together be. Truth explain’d is to suspicion Evermore the best physician. Soon her visits had the effect; All that Margaret did suspect From her fancy vanish’d clean; She was soon what she had been, And the colour she did lack To her faded cheek came back, Wounds which love had made her feel, Love alone had power to heal. Martha, who the frequent visit Now had lost, and sore did miss it, With impatience waxed cross, Counted Margaret’s gain her loss: All that Mary did confer On her friend, thought due to her. In her girlish bosom rise Little foolish jealousies, Which into such rancour wrought, She one day for Margaret sought; Finding her by chance alone, She began, with reasons shown, To insinuate a fear Whether Mary was sincere; Wish’d that Margaret would take heed Whence her actions did proceed. For herself, she’d long been minded Not with outsides to be blinded; All that pity and compassion, She believed was affectation; In her heart she doubted whether Mary cared a pin for either. She could keep whole weeks at distance And not know of their existence, While all things remain’d the same; But when some misfortune came, Then she made a great parade [Illustration] Of her sympathy and aid,-- Not that she did really grieve, It was only _make-believe_, And she cared for nothing, so She might her fine feelings show, And get credit on her part For a soft and tender heart. With such speeches, smoothly made, She found methods to persuade Margaret (who, being sore From the doubts she’d felt before, Was prepared for mistrust) To believe her reasons just; Quite destroyed that comfort glad Which in Mary late she had; Made her, in experience’ spite, Think her friend a hypocrite, And resolve, with cruel scoff, To renounce and cast her off.