we went, having promised to meet in the room.

To the room, therefore, I would immediately have gone: but the sisters
agreed that they would first have a _little pleasure_; and they tittered
and talked so loud that they attracted universal notice.

"Lord, Polly," said the eldest, "suppose we were to take a turn in the
dark walks?"

"Ay, do," answered she; "and then we'll hide ourselves, and then Mr.
Brown will think we are lost."

I remonstrated very warmly against this plan, telling them it would
endanger our missing the rest of the party all the evening.

"O dear," cried Miss Branghton, "I thought how uneasy Miss would be,
without a beau!"

This impertinence I did not think worth answering; and quite by
compulsion I followed them down a long alley, in which there was hardly
any light.

By the time we came near the end, a large party of gentlemen, apparently
very riotous, and who were hallooing, leaning on one another, and
laughing immoderately, seemed to rush suddenly from behind some trees,
and meeting us face to face, put their arms at their sides and formed a
kind of circle, which first stopped our proceeding and then our
retreating, for we were presently entirely enclosed. The Miss Branghtons
screamed aloud, and I was frightened exceedingly; our screams were
answered with bursts of laughter, and for some minutes we were kept
prisoners, till at last one of them, rudely seizing hold of me, said I
was a pretty little creature.

Terrified to death, I struggled with such vehemence to disengage myself
from him that I succeeded, in spite of his efforts to detain me: and
immediately, and with a swiftness which fear only could have given me, I
flew rather than ran up the walk, hoping to secure my safety by
returning to the lights and company we had so foolishly left; but before
I could possibly accomplish my purpose, I was met by another party of
men, one of whom placed himself directly in my way, calling out,
"Whither so fast, my love?"--so that I could only have proceeded by
running into his arms.

In a moment both my hands, by different persons, were caught hold of,
and one of them, in a most familiar manner, desired when I ran next to
accompany me in a race; while the rest of the party stood still and
laughed. I was almost distracted with terror, and so breathless with
running that I could not speak; till another, advancing, said I was as
handsome as an angel, and desired to be of the party. I then just
ar