, the mercer's
daughter: she never fails being here;' was the answer, and the
accompanying observation, made to every questioner, Who is that lady?

At last, her destiny approached. It was at a masquerade that she first
saw the gay, the handsome Lovelace, who was just returned from his
travels. She was immediately struck with his figure, and with the
brilliant things that she heard fall from his lips as he happened to sit
near her. He, who was not then looking out for a wife, was taken with
Sally's smartness, and with an air that at the same time showed her to be
equally genteel and self-significant; and signs of approbation mutually
passing, he found no difficulty in acquainting himself where to visit her
next day. And yet it was some mortification to a person of her
self-consequence, and gay appearance, to submit to be known by so fine a
young gentleman as no more than a mercer's daughter. So natural is it
for a girl brought up as Sally was, to be occasionally ashamed of those
whose folly had set her above herself.

But whatever it might be to Sally, it was no disappointment to Mr.
Lovelace, to find his mistress of no higher degree; because he hoped to
reduce her soon to the lowest condition that an unhappy woman can fall
into.

But when Miss Martin had informed herself that her lover was the nephew
and presumptive heir of Lord M. she thought him the very man for whom she
had been so long and so impatiently looking out; and for whom it was
worth her while to spread her toils. And here it may not be amiss to
observe, that it is very probable that Mr. Lovelace had Sally Martin in
his thoughts, and perhaps two or three more whose hopes of marriage from
him had led them to their ruin, when he drew the following whimsical
picture, in a letter to his friend Belford, not inserted in the preceding
collection:

'Methinks,' says he, 'I see a young couple in courtship, having each a
design upon the other: the girl plays off: she is very happy as she is:
she cannot be happier: she will not change her single state: the man, I
will suppose, is one who does not confess, that he desires not that she
should: she holds ready a net under her apron; he another under his coat;
each intending to throw it over the other's neck; she over his, when her
pride is gratified, and she thinks she can be sure of him; he over her's,
when the watched-for yielding moment has carried consent too far. And
suppose he happens to be the more dext