 so blinded and hurried on by it,
that he would have thought any undeception a very ill office done to his
pleasure. Thus concurring, even precipitately, to the point she wanted him at,
Mrs. Cole brought him at last to hug himself on the cheap bargain he consider'd
the purchase of my imaginary jewel was to him, at no more than three hundred
guineas to myself, and a hundred to the brokeress: being a slender recompense
for all her pains, and all the scruples of conscience she had now sacrificed to
him for this the first time of her life; which sums were to be paid down on the
nail, upon livery of my person, exclusive of some no inconsiderable presents
that had been made in the course of the negociation: during which I had
occasionally, but sparingly been introduc'd into his company, at proper times
and hours; in which it is incredible how little it seem'd necessary to strain my
natural disposition to modesty higher, in order to pass it upon him for that of
a very maid: all my looks and gestures ever breathing nothing but that innocence
which the men so ardently require in us, for no other end than to feast
themselves with the pleasures of destroying it, and which they are so
grievously, with all their skill, subject to mistakes in.
    When the articles of the treaty had been fully agreed on, the stipulated
payments duly secur'd, and nothing now remained but the execution of the main
point, which center'd in the surrender of my person up to his free disposal and
use, Mrs. Cole managed her objections, especially to his lodgings, and
insinuations so nicely, that it became his own mere notion and urgent request
that this copy of a wedding should be finish'd at her house: At first, indeed,
she did not care, said she, to have such doings in it ... she would not for a
thousand pounds have any of the servants or 'prentices know it ... her precious
good name would be gone for ever - with the like excuses. However, on superior
objections to all other expedients, whilst she took care to start none but those
which were most liable to them, it came round at last to the necessity of her
obliging him in that conveniency, and of doing a little more where she had
already done so much.
    The night then was fix'd, with all possible respect to the eagerness of his
impatience, and in the mean time Mrs. Cole had omitted no instructions, nor even
neglected any preparation, that
