Now
I was "a sweet girl . . ." I came into things with a "good
grace . . ." I was not "affectedly coy . . ." I should be
"the pride of the house . . ." and the like.
This point thus adjusted, the young women left Mrs.
Cole to talk and concert matters with me: she explained to
me that I should be introduc'd, that very evening, to four
of her best friends, one of whom she had, according to the
custom of the house, favoured with the preference of engag-
ing me in the first party of pleasure; assuring me, at the
same time, that they were all young gentlemen agreeable in
their persons, and unexceptionable in every respect; that
united, and holding together by the band of common pleasures,
they composed the chief support of her house, and made very
liberal presents to the girls that pleas'd and humour'd
them, so that they were, properly speaking, the founders
and patrons of this little seraglio. Not but that she had,
at proper seasons, other customers to deal with, whom she
stood less upon punctilio with than with these; for instance,
it was not on one of them she could attempt to pass me for
a maid; they were not only too knowing, too much town-bred
to bite at such a bait, but they were such generous bene-
factors to her that it would be unpardonable to think of it.
Amidst all the flutter and emotion which this promise
of pleasure, for such I conceiv'd it, stirr'd up in me, I
preserved so much of the woman as to feign just reluctance
enough to make some merit of sacrificing it to the influence
of my patroness, whom I likewise, still in character, re-
minded of it perhaps being right for me to go home and dress,
in favour of my first impressions.
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