Whilst he was exposing his sentiments to me, I ventur'd
just to look up to him, and observed his figure, which was
that of a very sightly gentleman, well made, about forty,
drest in a suit of plain cloaths, with a large diamond ring
on one of his fingers, the lustre of which play'd in my eyes
as he wav'd his hand in talking, and rais'd my notions of his
importance. In short, he might pass for what is commonly
call'd a comely black man, with an air of distinction natural
to his birth and condition.
To all his speeches, however, I answer'd only in tears
that flow'd plentifully to my relief, and choking up my
voice, excus'd me from speaking, very luckily, for I should
not have known what to say.
The sight, however, mov'd him, as he afterwards told me,
irresistibly, and by way of giving me some reason to be less
powerfully afflicted, he drew out his purse, and calling for
pen and ink, which the landlady was prepar'd for, paid her
every farthing of her demand, independent of a liberal gra-
tification which was to follow unknown to me; and taking a
receipt in full, very tenderly forc'd me to secure it, by
guiding my hand, which he had thrust it into, so as to make
me passively put it into my pocket.
Still I continued in a state of stupidity, or melan-
choly despair, as my spirits could not yet recover from the
violent shocks they had receiv'd; and the accommodating
landlady had actually left the room, and me alone with this
strange gentleman, before I observ'd it, and then I observ'd
it without alarm, for I was now lifeless and indifferent to
everything.
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