I had now achiev'd this rare adventure ultimately much
more to my satisfaction than I had bespoken the nature of it
to turn out; nor was it much lessen'd, you may think, by my
spark's lavish praises of my constancy and complaisance, which
he gave weight to by a present that greatly surpassed my ut-
most expectation, besides his gratification to Mrs. Cole.
I was not, however, at any time, re-enticed to renew
with him, or resort again to the violent expedient of lashing
nature into more haste than good speed: which, by the way, I
conceive acts somewhat in the manner of a dose of Spanish
flies; with more pain perhaps, but less danger; and might be
necessary to him, but was nothing less so than to me, whose
appetite wanted the bridle more than the spur.
Mrs. Cole, to whom this adventurous exploit had more and
more endear'd me, looked on me now as a girl after her own
heart, afraid on nothing, and, on a good account, hardy enough
to fight all the weapons of pleasure through. Attentive then,
in consequence of these favourable conceptions, to promote
either my profit or pleasure, she had special regard for the
first, in a new gallant of a very singular turn, that she pro-
cur'd for and introduced to me.
This was a grave, staid, solemn, elderly gentleman whose
peculiar humour was a delight in combing fine tresses of hair;
and as I was perfectly headed to his taste, he us'd to come
constantly at my toilette hours, when I let down my hair as
loose as nature, and abandon'd it to him to do what he pleased
with it; and accordingly he would keep me an hour or more in
play with it, drawing the comb through it, winding the curls
round his fingers, even kissing it as he smooth'd it; and all
this led to no other use of my person, or any other liberties
whatever, any more than if a distinction of sexes had not
existed.
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