with her father.

"A boy forms strange notions of a man who is considered a scoundrel. I
was prepared to see one of fierce and sullen appearance, and to meet
with a rude and coarse reception. I found in Mr. D---- a person who
early accustomed--(for he was of high birth)--to polished society, still
preserved, in his manner and appearance, its best characteristics. His
voice was soft and bland; his face, though haggard and worn, retained
the traces of early beauty; and a courteous and attentive ease of
deportment had been probably improved by the habits of deceiving others,
rather than impaired. I told our story to this man, frankly and fully.
When I had done, he rose; he took me by the hand; he expressed some
regret, yet some satisfaction, at what he had heard. He was sensible how
much peculiar circumstances had obliged him to leave his daughter
unprotected; he was sensible, also, that from my birth and future
fortunes, my affection did honour to the object of my choice. Nothing
would have made him so happy, so proud, had I been older--had I been my
own master. But I and he, alas! must be aware that my friends and
guardians would never consent to my forming any engagement at so
premature an age, and they and the world would impute the blame to him;
for calumny (he added in a melancholy tone) had been busy with his name,
and any story, however false or idle, would be believed of one who was
out of the world's affections.

"All this, and much more, did he say; and I pitied him while he spoke.
Our conference then ended in nothing fixed;--but--he asked me to dine
with him the next day. In a word, while he forbade me at present to
recur to the subject, he allowed me to see his daughter as often as I
pleased: this lasted for about ten days. At the end of that time, when I
made my usual morning visit, I saw D---- alone; he appeared much