 Table of Love,
without reflecting that some other already had been, or hereafter might be,
feasted with the same Repast. A Sentiment which, if it deals but little in
Refinement, deals however much in Substance; and is less capricious, and perhaps
less ill-natured and selfish than the Desires of those Females who can be
contented enough to abstain from the Possession of their Lovers, provided they
are sufficiently satisfied that no one else possesses them.
 

                                  Chapter VII

Containing a fuller Account of Mrs. Waters, and by what Means she came into that
           distressful Situation from which she was rescued by Jones.
 
Though Nature hath by no Means mixed up an equal Share either of Curiosity or
Vanity in every human Composition, there is perhaps no Individual to whom she
hath not allotted such a Proportion of both, as requires much Art, and Pains
too, to subdue and keep under. A Conquest, however, absolutely necessary to
every one who would in any Degree deserve the Characters of Wisdom or
Good-Breeding.
    As Jones therefore might very justly be called a well-bred Man, he had
stifled all that Curiosity which the extraordinary Manner in which he had found
Mrs. Waters, must be supposed to have occasioned. He had indeed at first thrown
out some few Hints to the Lady; but when he perceived her industriously avoiding
any Explanation, he was contented to remain in Ignorance, the rather as he was
not without Suspicion, that there were some Circumstances which must have raised
her Blushes, had she related the whole Truth.
    Now, since it is possible that some of our Readers may not so easily
acquiesce under the same Ignorance, and as we are very desirous to satisfy them
all, we have taken uncommon Pains to inform ourselves of the real Fact, with the
Relation of which we shall conclude this Book.
    This Lady then had lived some Years with one Captain Waters, who was a
Captain in the same Regiment to which Mr. Northerton belonged. She past for that
Gentleman's Wife, and went by his Name; and yet, as the Serjeant said, there
were some Doubts concerning the Reality of their Marriage, which we shall not at
present take upon us to resolve.
    Mrs. Waters, I am sorry to say it, had for some Time contracted an Intimacy
with the above mentioned Ensign, which did no great Credit to her Reputation.
That she had a remarkable Fondness for that young Fellow is most certain; but
whether she indulged this to any very criminal Lengths, is not so extremely
clear, unless we will suppose that Women never grant every Favour to a Man
