I think, however, he had not much to
brag of having out-dissembled me: for I kept up, nobly, the
character of our sex for art, and went up to him with the
same air of frankness as I had ever receiv'd him. He stayed
but a little while, made some excuse for not being able to
stay the evening with me, and went out.
As for the wench, she was now spoil'd, at least for my
servant; and scarce eight and forty hours were gone round,
before her insolence, on what had pass'd between Mr. H . . .
and her, gave me so fair an occasion to turn her away, at a
minute's warning, that not to have done it would have been
the wonder: so that he could neither disapprove it nor find
in it the least reason to suspect my original motive. What
became of her afterwards, I know not; but generous as Mr.
H . . . was, he undoubtedly made her amends: though, I dare
answer, that he kept up no farther commerce with her of that
sort; as his stooping to such a coarse morsel was only a
sudden sally of lust, on seeing a wholesome-looking, buxom
country-wench, and no more strange than hunger, or even a
whimsical appetite's making a fling meal of neck-beef, for
change of diet.
Had I consider'd this escapade of Mr. H . . . in no
more than that light and contented myself with turning away
the wench, I had thought and acted right; but, flush'd as I
was with imaginary wrongs, I should have held Mr.
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