This Request Was Easily Complied With, And
The Rather Because She, Who Knew Not The Strength Of Her Journey-Woman's
Resolution, nor the principles she had been bred in, was sometimes in
fear of losing so great a help to
Her business, by the temptations that
might be offered in a place so much exposed to sight. Mr. B - - n no
sooner missed her, than he enquired with a good deal of earnestness for
her; and on mrs. C - - ge's telling him she was gone away from her house,
became so impatient to know where, and on what account she had left her,
that this woman thinking it would be of advantage to her to own the
truth, (for she did nothing without that view) turned off the imposition
with a smile, and said, that perceiving the inclinations he had for her,
she had sent her upstairs that no other addresses might be a hindrance
to his designs. - This pleased him very well, and he ran directly to the
room where he was informed she was, and after some little discourse,
which he thought was becoming enough from a person of his condition to
one of her's, began to treat her with freedoms which she could not help
resisting with more fierceness than he had been accustomed to from women
of a much higher rank; but as he had no great notion of virtue,
especially among people of her sphere, he mistook all she said or did
for artifice; and imagining she enhanced the merit of the gift only to
enhance the recompence, he told her he would make her a handsome
settlement, and offered, as an earnest of his future gratitude, a purse
of money. The generous maid fired with a noble disdain at a proposal,
which she looked on only as an additional insult, struck down the purse
with the utmost indignation and cried, she was not of the number of
those who thought gold an equivalent for infamy; and that mean as she
appeared, not all his wealth should bribe her to a dishonourable action.
At first he endeavoured to laugh her out of such idle notions as he
called them, and was so far from being rebuffed at any thing she said,
that he began to kiss and toy with her more freely than before, telling
her he would bring her into a better humour; but he was wholly deceived
in his expectations, if he had any of the nature he pretended, for she
became so irritated at being treated in this manner, that she called out
to the servants to come to her assistance, and protected she would not
stay an hour longer in the house if she could not be secured from such
impertinencies; on which he said she was a silly romantic fool, and
flung out of the room.
Mrs. C - - ge hearing there had been some bustle, came up soon after and
found Louisa in tears: she immediately complained, of mr. B - - n's
behaviour to her, and said, tho' she acknowledged herself under many
obligations to her for the favours she had conferred on her, she could
not think of remaining in a place where, tho' she could not say her
virtue had any severe trials, because she had a natural detestation to
crimes of the kind that gentleman and some others had mentioned, yet her
person was liable to be affronted.
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