And
one there was it seems; for waking out of my very short
slumber, I found my hand lock'd in that of a young man, who
was kneeling at my bed-side, and begging my pardon for his
boldness: but that being a son to the lady to whom this bed-
chamber, he knew, belonged, he had slipp'd by the servant of
the shop, as he supposed, unperceiv'd, when finding me asleep,
his first ideas were to withdraw; but that he had been fix'd
and detain'd there by a power he could better account for
than resist.
"What shall I say? my emotions of fear and surprize
were instantly subdued by those of the pleasure I bespoke
in great presence of mind from the turn this adventure might
take. He seem'd to me no other than a pitying angel, dropt
out of the clouds: for he was young and perfectly handsome,
which was more than even I had asked for; man, in general,
being all that my utmost desires had pointed at. I thought
then I could not put too much encouragement into my eyes and
voice; I regretted no leading advances; no matter for his
after-opinion of my forwardness, so it might bring him to
the point of answering my pressing demands of present case;
it was not now with his thoughts, but his actions, that my
business immediately lay. I rais'd then my head, and told
him, in a soft tone that tended to prescribe the same key to
him, that his mamma was gone out and would not return till
late at night: which I thought no bad hint; but as it prov'd,
I had nothing of a novice to deal with.
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