However，nothingelsepassedatthattime；itwasbutasur-
prise，andwhenhewasgoneIsoonrecoveredmyselfagain。
Hehadstayedlongerwithme，buthehappenedtolookout
atthewindowandseehissisterscomingupthegarden，so
hetookhisleave，kissedmeagain，toldmehewasveryserious，
andIshouldhearmoreofhimveryquickly，andawayhewent，
leavingmeinfinitelypleased，thoughsurprised；andhadthere
notbeenonemisfortuneinit，Ihadbeenintheright，butthe
mistakelayhere，thatMrs。Bettywasinearnestandthe
gentlemanwasnot。
Fromthistimemyheadranuponstrangethings，andImay
trulysayIwasnotmyself；tohavesuchagentlemantalkto
meofbeinginlovewithme，andofmybeingsuchacharming
creature，ashetoldmeIwas；thesewerethingsIknewnot
howtobear，myvanitywaselevatedtothelastdegree。
Itis
trueIhadmyheadfullofpride，but，knowingnothingofthe
wickednessofthetimes，Ihadnotonethoughtofmyown
safetyorofmyvirtueaboutme；andhadmyyoungmaster
offereditatfirstsight，hemighthavetakenanylibertyhe
thoughtfitwithme；buthedidnotseehisadvantage，which
wasmyhappinessforthattime。
Afterthisattackitwasnotlongbuthefoundanopportunity
tocatchmeagain，andalmostinthesameposture；indeed，it
hadmoreofdesigninitonhispart，thoughnotonmypart。
wasthus:
theyoungladieswereallgonea-visitingwiththeir
mother；hisbrotherwasoutoftown；andasforhisfather，he
hadbeeninLondonforaweekbefore。
Hehadsowellwatched
methatheknewwhereIwas，thoughIdidnotsomuchasknow
thathewasinthehouse；andhebrisklycomesupthestairsand，
seeingmeatwork，comesintotheroomtomedirectly，and
beganjustashedidbefore，withtakingmeinhisarms，and
kissingmeforalmostaquarterofanhourtogether。
Itwashisyoungersister’schamberthatIwasin，andasthere
wasnobodyinthehousebutthemaidsbelow-stairs，hewas，
itmaybe，theruder；inshort，hebegantobeinearnestwithme
indeed。
Perhapshefoundmealittletooeasy，forGodknows
Imadenoresistancetohimwhileheonlyheldmeinhisarms
andkissedme；indeed，Iwastoowellpleasedwithittoresist
himmuch。
However，asitwere，tiredwiththatkindofwork，wesatdown，
andtherehetalkedwithmeagreatwhile；hesaidhewas
charmedwithme，andthathecouldnotrestnightordaytill
hehadtoldmehowhewasinlovewithme，and，ifIwasable
tolovehimagain，andwouldmakehimhappy，Ishouldbethe
savingofhislife，andmanysuchfinethings。
Isaidlittleto
himagain，buteasilydiscoveredthatIwasafool，andthatI
didnotintheleastperceivewhathemeant。
Endof
Thenhewalkedabouttheroom，andtakingmebythehand，
Iwalkedwithhim；andbyandby，takinghisadvantage，he
threwmedownuponthebed，andkissedmetheremost
violently；but，togivehimhisdue，offerednomannerof
rudenesstome，onlykissedagreatwhile。
Afterthishe
thoughthehadheardsomebodycomeupstairs，sogotofffrom
thebed，liftedmeup，professingagreatdealofloveforme，
buttoldmeitwasallanhonestaffection，andthathemeant
noilltome；andwiththatheputfiveguineasintomyhand，
andwentawaydownstairs。
IwasmoreconfoundedwiththemoneythanIwasbeforewith
thelove，andbegantobesoelevatedthatIscarceknewthe
groundIstoodon。
Iamthemoreparticularinthispart，that
ifmystorycomestobereadbyanyinnocentyoungbody，they
maylearnfromittoguardthemselvesagainstthemischiefs
whichattendanearlyknowledgeoftheirownbeauty。
Ifa
youngwomanoncethinksherselfhandsome，sheneverdoubts
thetruthofanymanthattellsherheisinlovewithher；forif
shebelievesherselfcharmingenoughtocaptivatehim，’tis
naturaltoexpecttheeffectsofit。
Thisyounggentlemanhadfiredhisinclinationasmuchashe
hadmyvanity，and，asifhehadfoundthathehadanopportunity
andwassorryhedidnottakeholdofit，hecomesupagainin
halfanhourorthereabouts，andfallstoworkwithmeagainas
before，onlywithalittlelessintroduction。
Andfirst，whenheenteredtheroom，heturnedaboutandshut
thedoor。
’Mrs。Betty，’saidhe，’Ifanciedbeforesomebody
wascomingupstairs，butitwasnotso；however，’addshe，
’iftheyfindmeintheroomwithyou，theyshan’tcatchme
a-kissingofyou。’ItoldhimIdidnotknowwhoshouldbe
comingupstairs，forIbelievedtherewasnobodyinthehouse
butthecookandtheothermaid，andtheynevercameupthose
stairs。
’Well，mydear，’sayshe，’’tisgoodtobesure，however’；
andsohesitsdown，andwebegantotalk。
Andnow，though
Iwasstillallonfirewithhisfirstvisit，andsaidlittle，hedid
asitwereputwordsinmymouth，tellingmehowpassionately
helovedme，andthatthoughhecouldnotmentionsuchathing
tillhecametothisestate，yethewasresolvedtomakemehappy
then，andhimselftoo；thatistosay，tomarryme，andabundance
ofsuchfinethings，whichI，poorfool，didnotunderstandthe
driftof，butactedasiftherewasnosuchthingasanykindof
lovebutthatwhichtendedtomatrimony；andifhehadspoke
ofthat，Ihadnoroom，aswellasnopower，tohavesaidno；
butwewerenotcomethatlengthyet。
Wehadnotsatlong，buthegotup，and，stoppingmyvery
breathwithkisses，threwmeuponthebedagain；butthen
beingbothwellwarmed，hewentfartherwithmethandecency
permitsmetomention，norhaditbeeninmypowertohave
deniedhimatthatmoment，hadheofferedmuchmorethan
hedid。
However，thoughhetookthesefreedomswithme，itdidnot
gotothatwhichtheycallthelastfavour，which，todohim
justice，hedidnotattempt；andhemadethatself-denialofhis
apleaforallhisfreedomswithmeuponotheroccasionsafter
this。
Whenthiswasover，hestayedbutalittlewhile，buthe
putalmostahandfulofgoldinmyhand，andleftme，making
athousandprotestationsofhispassionforme，andofhis
lovingmeaboveallthewomenintheworld。
ItwillnotbestrangeifInowbegantothink，butalas！itwas
butwithverylittlesolidreflection。
Ihadamostunbounded
stockofvanityandpride，andbutaverylittlestockofvirtue。
Ididindeedcasesometimeswithmyselfwhatyoungmaster
aimedat，butthoughtofnothingbutthefinewordsandthe
gold；whetherheintendedtomarryme，ornottomarryme，
seemedamatterofnogreatconsequencetome；nordidmy
thoughtssomuchassuggesttomethenecessityofmaking
anycapitulationformyself，tillhecametomakeakindof
formalproposaltome，asyoushallhearpresently。
ThusIgaveupmyselftoareadinessofbeingruinedwithout
theleastconcernandamafairmementotoallyoungwomen
whosevanityprevailsovertheirvirtue。
Nothingwaseverso
stupidonbothsides。
HadIactedasbecameme，andresisted
asvirtueandhonourrequire，thisgentlemanhadeitherdesisted
hisattacks，findingnoroomtoexpecttheaccomplishmentof
hisdesign，orhadmadefairandhonourableproposalsof
marriage；inwhichcase，whoeverhadblamedhim，nobody
couldhaveblamedme。
Inshort，ifhehadknownme，and
howeasythetrifleheaimedatwastobehad，hewouldhave
troubledhisheadnofarther，buthavegivenmefourorfive
guineas，andhavelainwithmethenexttimehehadcomeatme。
AndifIhadknownhisthoughts，andhowhardhethoughtI
wouldbetobegained，Imighthavemademyowntermswith
him；andifIhadnotcapitulatedforanimmediatemarriage，
Imightforamaintenancetillmarriage，andmighthavehad
whatIwould；forhewasalreadyrichtoexcess，besideswhat
hehadinexpectation；butIseemedwhollytohaveabandoned
allsuchthoughtsasthese，andwastakenuponlywiththepride
ofmybeauty，andofbeingbelovedbysuchagentleman。
forthegold，Ispentwholehoursinlookinguponit；Itoldthe
guineasoverandoverathousandtimesaday。
Neverpoor
vaincreaturewassowraptupwitheverypartofthestoryas
Iwas，notconsideringwhatwasbeforeme，andhownearmy
ruinwasatthedoor；indeed，IthinkIratherwishedforthat
ruinthanstudiedtoavoidit。
Inthemeantime，however，Iwascunningenoughnottogive
theleastroomtoanyinthefamilytosuspectme，ortoimagine
thatIhadtheleastcorrespondencewiththisyounggentleman。
Iscarceeverlookedtowardshiminpublic，oransweredifhe
spoketomewhenanybodywasnearus；butforallthat，we
hadeverynowandthenalittleencounter，wherewehadroom
forawordortwo，annowandthenakiss，butnofairopportunity
forthemischiefintended；andespeciallyconsideringthathe
mademorecircumlocutionthan，ifhehadknownbythoughts，
hehadoccasionfor；andtheworkappearingdifficulttohim，
hereallymadeitso。
Butasthedevilisanunweariedtempter，soheneverfailsto
findopportunityforthatwickednessheinvitesto。
Itwasone
eveninethatIwasinthegarden，withhistwoyoungersisters
andhimself，andallveryinnocentlymerry，whenhefound
meanstoconveyanoteintomyhand，bywhichhedirected
metounderstandthathewouldto-morrowdesiremepublicly
togoofanerrandforhimintothetown，andthatIshouldsee
himsomewherebytheway。
Accordingly，afterdinner，heverygravelysaystome，his
sistersbeingallby，’Mrs。Betty，Imustaskafavourofyou。’
’What’sthat？’sayshissecondsister。
’Nay，sister，’sayshe
verygravely，’ifyoucan’tspareMrs。Bettyto-day，anyother
timewilldo。’
Yes，theysaid，theycouldspareherwellenough，
andthesisterbeggedpardonforasking，whichtheydidbutof
merecourse，withoutanymeaning。
’Well，but，brother，’says
theeldestsister，’youmusttellMrs。Bettywhatitis；ifitbe
anyprivatebusinessthatwemustnothear，youmaycallher
