Page:Genlis - The Palace of Truth (1819).djvu/58

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

44

cover from my amazement; what I heard was incredible, and I found it would not be possible long to preserve my liberty in the presence of so accomplished a princess

Every body retired at midnight, and I remained alone with Arpalisa, and her bosom-friend Telira. The two friends were reclined on a couch, and tenderly folded in each other's arms; the picture was delightful; I contemplated it in silence, and listened while they said every thing the sublimest friendship could dictate. Arpalisa gave me so lively and so affecting an impression of her love for Telira, that I was moved even to tears.

I could not forbear to testify, in part, the admiration she inspired; I praised her talents, her knowledge, and introduced the subjects of astronomy and mathematics; but Arpalisa, with a tone of the utmost modesty, stopped me by saying, I am exceedingly vexed, my lord, you have been persuaded I employ my leisure on subjects so little proper for a woman; and were it true I had a taste for such sciences, 1 would make it a law with myself never to own

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.