 him, and proud of an occasion to display his quality-acquaintance to
Emilia, that she might entertain the greater idea of the conquest she had made,
and pay the more deference to his importance in the sequel of his addresses.
That he might profit as much as possible by this situation, he went up and
accosted every person in the pit, with whom he ever had the least communication,
whispered and laughed with an affected air of familiarity, and even bowed at a
distance to some of the nobility, on the slender foundation of having stood near
them at court, or presented them with a pinch of Rapee at White's
chocolate-house.
    This ridiculous ostentation, though now practised with a view of promoting
his design, was a weakness that, in some degree, infected the whole of his
behaviour; for nothing gave him so much joy in conversation, as an opportunity
of giving the company to understand, how well he was with persons of
distinguished rank and character: he would often (for example) observe, as it
were occasionally, that the duke of G-- was one of the best natured men in the
world, and illustrate his assertion by some instance of his affability, in which
he himself was concerned: then, by an abrupt transition, he would repeat some
repartee of lady T--, and mention a certain bon mot of the earl of C--, which
was uttered in his hearing.
    Abundance of young men, in this manner, make free with the names, though
they have never had access to the persons of the nobility: but, this was not the
case with Peregrine, who, in consideration of his appearance and supposed
fortune, together with the advantage of his introduction, was by this time
freely admitted to the tables of the great.
    In his return with Emilia from the opera, though he still maintained the
most scrupulous decorum in his behaviour, he plied her with the most passionate
expressions of love, squeezed her hand with great fervency, protested that his
whole soul was ingrossed by her idea, and that he could not exist independent of
her favour. Pleased as she was with his warm and pathetic addresses, together
with the respectful manner of his making love, she yet had prudence and
resolution sufficient to contain her tenderness, which was ready to run over;
being fortified against his arts, by reflecting, that if his aim was honourable,
it was now his business to declare it. On this consideration, she refused to
make any serious reply to his earnest expostulations, but affected to receive
them as the undetermined effusions
