her whole nights together; for your mistress is too
much of a philosopher to be swayed by the custom of the world, and
never sleeps nor eats like other people. Among other odd notions, she
professes the principles of Rosicrucius, and believes the earth, air,
and sea, are inhabited by invisible beings, with whom it is possible for
the human species to entertain correspondence and intimacy, on the easy
condition of living chaste. As she hopes one day to be admitted into an
acquaintance of this kind, she no sooner heard of me and my cat,
than she paid me a visit, with a view, as she has since owned, to be
introduced to my familiar; and was greatly mortified to find herself
disappointed in her expectation. Being by this visionary turn of mind
abstracted as it were from the world, she cannot advert to the common
occurrences of life; and therefore is frequently so absent as to commit
very strange mistakes and extravagancies, which you will do well to
rectify and repair, as your prudence shall suggest."

CHAPTER XXXIX

My Reception by that Lady--I become enamoured of Narcissa--recount
the particulars of my last misfortune--acquire the good opinion of my
Mistress--an Account of the young Squire--I am made acquainted with more
particulars of Narcissa's Situation--conceive a mortal hatred against
Sir Timothy--examine my Lady's library and performances--her extravagant
behaviour

Fraught with these useful instructions, I repaired to the place of her
habitation, and was introduced by the waiting-woman to the presence of
my lady, who had not before seen me. She sat in her study, with one foot
on the ground, and the other upon a high stool at some distance from her
seat; her sandy locks hung down, in a disorder I cannot call beautiful,
from her head, which was deprived of its coif, for the benefit of
scratching with one hand, while she held the stump of a pen in the
other. Her forehead was high and wrinkled; her eyes were large, gray,
and prominent; her nose was long, and aquiline: her mouth of vast
capacity, her visage meagre and freckled, and her chin peaked like a
shoemaker's paring knife; her upper lip contained a large quantity of
plain Spanish, which, by continual falling, had embroidered her neck,
that was not naturally very white, and the breast of her gown, that
flowed loose about her with a negligence that was truly poetic,
discovering linen that was very fine, and, to all appearance, never
washed but in Castali