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When I think of them I am so agitated!"

Catherine's understanding began to awake: an idea of the truth
suddenly darted into her mind; and, with the natural blush of so
new an emotion, she cried out, "Good heaven! My dear Isabella,
what do you mean? Can you -- can you really be in love with James?"

This bold surmise, however, she soon learnt comprehended but half
the fact. The anxious affection, which she was accused of having
continually watched in Isabella's every look and action, had,
in the course of their yesterday's party, received the delightful
confession of an equal love. Her heart and faith were alike engaged
to James. Never had Catherine listened to anything so full of
interest, wonder, and joy. Her brother and her friend engaged! New
to such circumstances, the importance of it appeared unspeakably
great, and she contemplated it as one of those grand events,
of which the ordinary course of life can hardly afford a return.
The strength of her feelings she could not express; the nature of
them, however, contented her friend. The happiness of having such
a sister was their first effusion, and the fair ladies mingled in
embraces and tears of joy.

Delighting, however, as Catherine sincerely did in the prospect of
the connection, it must be acknowledged that Isabella far surpassed
her in tender anticipations. "You will be so infinitely dearer to
me, my Catherine, than either Anne or Maria: I feel that I shall
be so much more attached to my dear Morland's family than to my
own."

This was a pitch of friendship beyond Catherine.

"You are so like your dear brother," continued Isabella, "that I
quite doted on you the first moment I saw you. But so it always
is with me; the first moment settles everything. The very first
day that Morland came to us last Christmas -- the very first moment
I beheld him -- my heart was irrecoverably gone. I remember I wore
my yellow gown, with my hair done up in braids; and when I came
into the drawing-room, and John introduced him, I thought I never
saw anybody so handsome before."

Here Catherine secretly acknowledged the power of love; for, though
exceedingly fond of her brother, and partial to all his endowments,
she had never in her life thought him handsome.

"I remember too, Miss Andrews drank tea with us that evening, and
wore her puce-coloured sarsenet; and she looked so heavenly that I
thought your brother must certainly fall in love with her; I could
not sleep a wink all right for thinking of it. Oh! Catherine,
the many sleepless nights I have had on your brother's account!
I would not have you suffer half what I have done! I am grown
wretchedly thin, I know; but I will not pain you by describing my
anxiety; you have seen enough of it. I feel that I have betrayed
myself perpetually -- so unguarded in speaking of my partiality
for the church! But my secret I was always sure would be safe with
you."

Catherine felt that nothing could have been safer; but ashamed of

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