 and
robust, so was that bold and forward. So little had she of Modesty, that Jones
had more Regard for her Virtue than she herself. And as most probably she liked
Tom as well as he liked her, so when she perceived his Backwardness, she herself
grew proportionably forward; and when she saw he had entirely deserted the
House, she found Means of throwing herself in his Way, and behaved in such a
Manner, that the Youth must have had very much, or very little of the Heroe, if
her Endeavours had proved unsuccessful. In a Word, she soon triumphed over all
the virtuous Resolutions of Jones: For though she behaved at last with all
decent Reluctance, yet I rather chuse to attribute the Triumph to her: Since, in
Fact, it was her Design which succeeded.
    In the Conduct of this Matter, I say, Molly so well played her Part, that
Jones attributed the Conquest entirely to himself, and considered the young
Woman as one who had yielded to the violent Attacks of his Passion. He likewise
imputed her yielding, to the ungovernable Force of her Love towards him; and
this the Reader will allow to have been a very natural and probable Supposition,
as we have more than once mentioned the uncommon Comeliness of his Person: And
indeed he was one of the handsomest young Fellows in the World.
    As there are some Minds whose Affections, like Master Blifil's, are solely
placed on one single Person, whose Interest and Indulgence alone they consider
on every Occasion; regarding the Good and Ill of all others as merely
indifferent, any farther than as they contribute to the Pleasure or Advantage of
that Person: So there is a different Temper of Mind which borrows a Degree of
Virtue even from Self-love; such can never receive any kind of Satisfaction from
another, without loving the Creature to whom that Satisfaction is owing, and
without making its Wellbeing in some sort necessary to their own Ease.
    Of this latter Species was our Heroe. He considered this poor Girl as one
whose Happiness or Misery he had caused to be dependent on himself. Her Beauty
was still the Object of Desire, though greater Beauty, or a fresher Object,
might have been more so; but the little Abatement which Fruition had occasioned
to this, was highly over-ballanced by the Considerations of the Affection which
she visibly bore him, and of the Situation into which he had brought her. The
former of these created Gratitude, the latter Compassion; and both together with
his Desire for her Person, raised in him a Passion, which might, without any
great
