at the Tilting, and wished you might come off as you
did; though I do not doubt, but you would have had as good Success had it
been opposite to my Inclinations.--Not to detain you by too tedious a
Relation, every day my Friends urged me to the Match they had agreed upon
for me, before I was capable of Consenting; at last their importunities
grew to that degree, that I found I must either consent, which would make
me miserable, or be miserable by perpetually enduring to be baited by my
Father, Brother and other Relations. I resolved yesterday, on a suddain
to give firm Faith to the Opinion I had conceived of you; and accordingly
came in the Evening to request your assistance, in delivering me from my
Tormentors, by a safe and private conveyance of me to a Monastery about
four Leagues hence, where I have an Aunt who would receive me, and is the
only Relation I have averse to the Match. I was surprized at the
appearance of some Company I did not expect at your Lodgings; which made
me in haste tear a Paper which I had written to you with Directions where
to find me, and get speedily away in my Coach to an old Servant's House,
whom I acquainted with my purpose: By my Order she provided me of this
Habit which I now wear; I ventured to trust my self with her Brother, and
resolved to go under his Conduct to the Monastery; he proved to be a
Villain, and Pretending to take me a short and private way to the place
where he was to take up a Hackney Coach (for that which I came in was
broke some where or other with the haste it made to carry me from your
Lodging) led me into an old ruined Monastery, where it pleased Heaven, by
what Accident I know not, to direct you. I need not tell you how you
saved my Life and my Honour, by revenging me with the Death of my
Perfidious Guide. This is the summ of my present Condition, bating the
apprehensions I am in of being taken by some of my Relations, and forced
to a thing so quite contrary to my Inclinations.

Aurelian was confounded at the Relation she had made, and began to fear
his own Estate to be more desperate than ever he had imagined. He made
her a very Passionate and Eloquent Speech in behalf of himself (much
better than I intend to insert here) and expressed a mighty concern that
she should look upon his ardent Affection to be only Rallery or
Gallantry. He was very free of his Oaths to confirm the Truth of what he
pretended, nor I believe did she doubt it, or at least was unwillin