Presently, assuming more courage, and seeking some di-
version from my uneasy thoughts, I ventured to lift up my
head a little, and sent my eyes on a course round the room,
wherein they met full tilt with those of a lady (for such
my extreme innocence pronounc'd her) sitting in a corner of
the room, dress'd in a velvet mantle (nota bene, in the
midst of summer), with her bonnet off; squab-fat, red-faced,
and at least fifty.
She look'd as if she would devour me with her eyes,
staring at me from head to foot, without the least regard
to the confusion and blushes her eyeing me so fixedly put
me to, and which were to her, no doubt, the strongest re-
commendation and marks of my being fit for her purpose.
After a little time, in which my air, person and whole
figure had undergone a strict examination, which I had, on
my part, tried to render favourable to me, by primming,
drawing up my neck, and setting my best looks, she advanced
and spoke to me with the greatest demureness:
"Sweet-heart, do you want a place?"
"Yes, and please you" (with a curtsy down to the
ground).
Upon this she acquainted me that she was actually
come to the office herself to look out for a servant; that
she believed I might do, with a little of her instructions;
that she could take my very looks for a sufficient character;
that London was a very wicked, vile place; that she hoped I
would be tractable, and keep out of bad company; in short,
she said all to me that an old experienced practitioner in
town could think of, and which was much more than was neces-
sary to take in an artless inexperienced country-maid, who
was even afraid of becoming a wanderer about the streets,
and therefore gladly jump'd at the first offer of a shelter,
especially from so grave and matron-like a lady, for such my
flattering fancy assured me this new mistress of mine was;
I being actually hired under the nose of the good woman that
kept the office, whose shrewd smiles and shrugs I could not
help observing, and innocently interpreted them as marks of
her being pleased at my getting into place so soon; but, as
I afterwards came to know, these BELDAMS understood one an-
other very well, and this was a market where Mrs.
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