The only objection I have to Mr.Hargrave's being in the neighbourhood, is that the fear of meeting him at the Grove prevents me from seeing his sister so often as I otherwise should; for, of late, he has conducted himself towards me with such unerring propriety, that I have almost forgotten his former conduct.

I suppose he is striving to 'win my esteem.' If he continue to act in this way, he may win it; but what then?
The moment he attempts to demand anything more, he will lose it again.
February 10th .-- It is a hard, embittering thing to have one's kind feelings and good intentions cast back in one's teeth.

I was beginning to relent towards my wretched partner; to pity his forlorn, comfortless condition, unalleviated as it is by the consolations of intellectual resources and the answer of a good conscience towards God; and to think I ought to sacrifice my pride, and renew my efforts once again to make his home agreeable and lead him back to the path of virtue; not by false professions of love, and not by pretended remorse, but by mitigating my habitual coldness of manner, and commuting my frigid civility into kindness wherever an opportunity occurred; and not only was I beginning to think so, but I had already begun to act upon the thought--and what was the result?
No answering spark of kindness, no awakening penitence, but an unappeasable ill-humour, and a spirit of tyrannous exaction that increased with indulgence, and a lurking gleam of self-complacent triumph at every detection of relenting softness in my manner, that congealed me to marble again as often as it recurred; and this morning he finished the business:--I think the petrifaction is so completely effected at last that nothing can melt me again.

Among his letters was one which he perused with symptoms of unusual gratification, and then threw it across the table to me, with the admonition,-- 'There! read that, and take a lesson by it!' It was in the free, dashing hand of Lady Lowborough.

I glanced at the first page; it seemed full of extravagant protestations of affection; impetuous longings for a speedy reunion--and impious defiance of God's mandates, and railings against His providence for having cast their lot asunder, and doomed them both to the hateful bondage of alliance with those they could not love.