350 LOVES OF A BACHELOR. 



I was fully two years in Edinburgh, during which I was not by 

 myself in company witli any of the marriageable portion of the sex 

 for two minutes at a liziie. During this period, in fact, I felt horri- 

 fied at the bare idea of encountering dark-blue eyes, when their pro- 

 prietrix was a single lady. 



About this time, however, the unavoidable disagreeable necessity 

 was imposed on me of joining a party, in which there were five young 

 ladies and an equal number of single gentlemen, on a pleasurable 

 aquatic excursion, in the neighbourhood of Newhaven. Much as I 

 endeavoured to avoid it, I could not help being struck with admira- 

 tion of the beautiful countenance, as well as handsome figure and 

 engaging manners, of one of these young ladies. Still, however, I 

 studiously concealed my admiration of her charms in my own breast; 

 for the recollections of the affair of the doctor's daughter, and the 

 resolution consequent thereon I had formed of never again making 

 any approaches to woman-kind, in the character of a suitor, were in- 

 stantly conjured up to my mind. We accordingly parted with a cold 

 formal sort of " Good-bye" on my part ; but I thought that, while 

 the words " Good evening, Sir," were escaping her fair lips, she gave 

 my hand a gentle, yet very expressive, squeeze, accompanied with a 

 glance which seem.ed to me unsusceptible of two interpretations. 



In two days thereafter, to my no small surprise, 1 was invited to 

 tea at the house of an old lady with whom my acquaintance was ex- 

 tremely limited. I accepted the invitation, and found among the fair 

 portion of the party Miss Christina Ogilvie, the young lady with whose 

 charms 1 had been struck when on the above-mentioned excursion. 



In the course of the chit-chat which passed while at tea, I acci- 

 dentally mentioned having in my possession a small volume consisting 

 of a choice collection of beautiful love-poetry. Miss Ogilvie, on 

 hearing the remark, uttered an exclamation of agreeable surprise at 

 the circumstance, adding that she had been solicitously endeavouring 

 for some months past to obtain a perusal of the identical work I had 

 mentioned. It has since occurred to me, notwithstanding all this, as 

 extremely questionable whether Miss O. ever before even heard of 

 the existence of such a volume. Be that as it may, I looked on her 

 exclamation and accompanying remark as an unequivocal appeal to 

 my gallantry, and which of course I could not withstand. I inti- 

 mated to Miss O. that I was most happy at having it in my power 

 so easily to gratify her wishes, and that I would send it her imme- 

 diately on my return home. She politely thanked me, and assured 

 me she would feel \ery much obliged by my kindness. 



I need not say that I was conscientiously scnapulous in the perform- 

 ance of my promise. In the course of eight days thereafter I was 

 invited to her mother's house (her father was dead) to form one of a 

 tea-party. Here again, it is unnecessary to add, I accepted the in- 

 vitation. During the evening Miss Ogilvie pointed out to me some 

 of the pieces in the work I had lent her with which she represented 

 herself as being peculiarly delighted. These pieces were all beau- 

 tifully expressive of a young lady's regards for her lover. It occurred 

 to me that this was an indirect way of hinting to me the place I 

 occupied in her affections. Still, however, I simply expressed my 



