78 MODERN CONSTANCY. 



There was one part, however, in the heroi-romantico line 

 which Fanny could play to perfection. She could fall in love 

 with as much facility as any Ethelinda or Celestina recorded in 

 the pages of romance. Her first sentimental essay was directed 

 towards a handsome young stripling of sixteen, (Fanny was 

 about a year his junior,) who thought infinitely more of his dog 

 and gun than he did of ladies' looks. Of course his indifference 

 afforded a fine opportunity for the display of the many varia- 

 tions on the theme of hopeless affection. So Fanny sighed, 

 and looked doleful, and tried to go without food, and hoped she 

 was growing pale. But it would not do ; the claims of a 

 liealthy appetite made her continually forget her fasting, her 

 cheeks retained their roses, and her well-rounded figure was as 

 (dump as ever. It was certainly provoking, but there was no 

 help for it. At length, after moping through a whole summer, 

 she came to the conclusion that she had mistaken her own 

 feelings, and for a time, she was once more natural and 

 agreeable. 



But this was only the beginning of a series of similar errors ; 

 for Fanny was always fancying herself in love with somebody, 

 and, as tears and sighs were, in her mind, the only food of love, 

 she was always pining after some unattainable object. At one 

 time she was on the brink of despair for the village school- 

 master, a long, gaunt yankee, in blue spectacles, who read 

 mathematics, and studied the main chance, but who had no more 

 sentiment than his own ferule. At another time she was all 

 gentle sadness for the sake of a young shop-keeper, who had 

 recently removed to the village, and who displayed his white 



