became more decided, and his attentions assumed a warmer colour.
The innocent familiarity with which She treated him, encouraged
his desires: Grown used to her modesty, it no longer commanded
the same respect and awe: He still admired it, but it only made
him more anxious to deprive her of that quality which formed her
principal charm. Warmth of passion, and natural penetration, of
which latter unfortunately both for himself and Antonia He
possessed an ample share, supplied a knowledge of the arts of
seduction. He easily distinguished the emotions which were
favourable to his designs, and seized every means with avidity of
infusing corruption into Antonia's bosom. This He found no easy
matter. Extreme simplicity prevented her from perceiving the aim
to which the Monk's insinuations tended; But the excellent morals
which She owed to Elvira's care, the solidity and correctness of
her understanding, and a strong sense of what was right implanted
in her heart by Nature, made her feel that his precepts must be
faulty. By a few simple words She frequently overthrew the whole
bulk of his sophistical arguments, and made him conscious how
weak they were when opposed to Virtue and Truth. On such
occasion He took refuge in his eloquence; He overpowered her
with a torrent of Philosophical paradoxes, to which, not
understanding them, it was impossible for her to reply; And thus
though He did not convince her that his reasoning was just, He at
least prevented her from discovering it to be false. He
perceived that her respect for his judgment augmented daily, and
doubted not with time to bring her to the point desired.

He was not unconscious that his attempts were highly criminal:
He saw clearly the baseness of seducing the innocent Girl: But
his passion was too violent to permit his abandoning his design.