o doubt designedly,
hard and stiff against one of my hands carelessly dropt; but then he
employed such tender prefacing, such winning progressions, that my
returning passion of desire being now so strongly prompted by the
engaging circumstances of the sight and incendiary touch of his
naked glowing beauties, I yield at length at the force of the present
impressions, and he obtained of my tacit blushing consent all the
gratifications of pleasure left in the power of my poor person to
bestow, after he had cropt its richest flower, during my suspension of
life, and abilities to guard it. Here, according to the rule laid down,
I should stop; but I am so much in notion, that I could not if I would.
I shall only add, however, that I got home without the least discovery,
or suspicion of what had happened. I met my young ravisher several times
after, whom I now passionately loved and who, though not of age to
claim a small but independent fortune, would have married me; but as the
accident that prevented it, and its consequences, which threw me on the
public, contain matters too moving and serious to introduce at present,
I cut short here."

Louisa, the brunette whom I mentioned at first, now took her turn to
treat the company with her history. I have already hinted to you the
graces of her person, than which nothing could be more exquisitely
touching; I repeat touching, as a just distinction from striking, which
is ever a less lasting effect, and more generally belongs to the fair
complexions; but leaving that decision to every one's taste, I proceed
to give you Louisa's narrative as follows:

"According to practical maxims of life, I ought to boast of my birth,
since I owe it to pure love, without marriage; but this I know, it was
scarce possible to inherit a stronger propensity to that cause of my
being than I did. I was the rare production of the first essay of a
journeyman cabinet-maker, on his master's maid: the consequence of which
was a big belly, and the loss of a place. He was not in circumstances to
do much for her; and yet, after all this blemish, she found means, after
she had dropt her burthen, and disposed of me to a poor relation in
the country, to repair it by marrying a pastry-cook here in London,
in thriving business; on whom she soon, under favour of the complete
ascendant he had given her over him, passed me for a child she had by
her first husband. I had, on that footing, been taken home, and was
not six