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55
discovery to her own advantage. The many weeks she passed
in their family, enabled her to gain a degree of
influence over this unhappy couple, which she perhaps
could never have done in other circumstances. She completely
gained the love & confidence of Julia, & an uncontrolled empire
over the mind & passions of Clifton. Their disunion, was the
object at which she aimed, & to effect this she scrupled
not as to her choice of means. To excite Julia's jealousy,
& a degree of resentment, that might lead Julia to retaliate
the injuries inflicted by her husbands inconstancy, was her
favorite plan. Mrs Brunel, a very lovely woman,
had long been, almost unconsiciously to herself an object of
envy to Julia. Moving in the same circle, of the same age, with
equal advantages, she was often a successful competitor for that
admiration & distinction to which Julia had
been accustomed to monopolize, & it was not without secret
& unacknowledged mortification that she often discovered the preference given
to Mrs Brunel. It was a preference too, of the most mortifying kind, for
it was that of respect & esteem, for which Julia often thought she would
gladly exchange the admiration & flattery of which she was the object.

This latent spark of envy hidden in Julia's bosom, Madam Lune
ville discovered & failed not to turn it to account,
She induced Clifton to pay particular attention to Mrs Brunel,
which added to the jeoulsy Julia would have felt for any object distinguished by him,
all the bitterness & acrimony of envy, & at the same time, turned her suspi-
-cions from Madam Luneville, the real object of Cliftons inconstant affections.

Mrs Brunel on her part, felt towards Julia a degree of kindness & good
woll, heightened by admiration of her charming talents & softened by com-
passion for her exposed situation. Under the influence of these benevolent feelings
she sought Julia's acquaintance. But her kindness was repelled
by the most haughty & forbidding coldness & she often lamented to Clifton
her failure in acquiring the friendship of his wife. Clifton percieving
the interest his wife had excited in the mnd of the aimiable Mrs Brunel,
talked almost exclusively of her & by this means gained a larger portion of
that lady's attention, than it would have been possible for him otherwise to have
done, & this appearance & confidential discourse, confirmed the fears &
jealousy of Julia & made her look on Mrs Brunel as one who had seduced from
her, her husbands affections.

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