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NIGHTMARE ABBEY.
147
He had no opportunity to take measure of her understanding by conversation on general subjects, and on his favorite designs; and, being left, in this respect, to the exercise of indefinite conjecture, he took it for granted, as most lovers would do in similar circumstances, that she had great natural talents, which she wasted at present on trifles: but coquetry would end with marriage, and leave room for philosophy to exert its influence on her mind. Stella had no coquetry, no disguise: she was an enthusiast in subjects of general interest; and her conduct to Scythrop was always uniform, or rather shewed a regular progression of partiality, which seemed fast ripening into love.
