We soon got to the house appointed for me, which was
that of a plain tradesman who, on the score of interest,
was entirely at Mr. H . . .'s devotion, and who let him the
first floor, very genteelly furnish'd, for two guineas a
week, of which I was instated mistress, with a maid to
attend me.
He stayed with me that evening, and we had a supper
from a neighbouring tavern, after which, and a gay glass
or two, the maid put me to bed. Mr. H . . . soon follow'd,
and notwithstanding the fatigues of the preceding night, I
found no quarter nor remission from him: he piqued himself,
as he told me, on doing the honours of my new apartment.
The morning being pretty well advanc'd, we got to
breakfast; and the ice now broke, my heart, no longer en-
gross'd by love, began to take ease, and to please itself
with such trifles as Mr. H . . .'s liberal liking led him
to make his court to the usual vanity of our sex. Silks,
laces, ear-rings, pearl-necklace, gold watch, in short, all
the trinkets and articles of dress were lavishly heap'd
upon me; the sense of which, if it did not create returns
of love, forc'd a kind of grateful fondness something like
love; a distinction it would be spoiling the pleasure of
nine tenths of the keepers in the town to make, and is, I
suppose, the very good reason why so few of them ever do
make it.
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