he goes, nor what he does.—And this, re-urged by Dorcas, was all she had to say to me. I looked through the key-hole at my going by her door, and saw her on her knees, at her bed's feet, her head and bosom on the bed, her arms extended (sweet creature, how I adore her!); and in an agony she seemed to be, sobbing, as I heard at that distance, as if her heart would break. By my soul, Jack, I am a pity-ful fellow. Recollection is my enemy!-Divine excellence!—Happy with her for so many days together! Now so unhappy! -And for what?-But she is purity itself. And why, after all, should I thus torment-but I must not trust myself with myself, in the humour I am in. Part Third-Her Flight from Lovelace. MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ. Thursday Evening, June 8. FOR a curse to kill with!-Ruined! undone ! outwitted! tricked!-Zounds, man, the lady is gone off!-Absolutely gone off! Escaped! Thou knowest not, nor canst conceive, the pangs that wring my heart!-What can I do!-O Lord, O Lord, O Lord! And thou, too, who hast endeavoured to weaken my hands, wilt but clap thy dragon's wings at the tidings! Yet I must write, or I shall go distracted. Little less have I been these two hours; dispatching messengers to every stage, to every inn, to every waggon or coach, whether flying or creeping, and to every house with a bill up, for five miles round. How she could effect this her wicked escape, is my astonishment; the whole sisterhood having charge of her-for, as yet, I have not had patience enough to enquire into the particulars, nor to let a soul of them approach me. Of this I am sure, or I had not brought her hither; there is not a creature belonging to this house, that could be corrupted either by virtue or remorse: the highest joy every infernal nymph of this worse than infernal habitation could have known, would have been to reduce this proud beauty to her own level.-And as to VOL. II. L : my villain, who also had charge of her, he is such a seasoned varlet, that he delights in mischief for the sake of it no bribe could seduce him to betray his trust, were there but wickedness in it!-'Tis well, however, he was out of my way when the cursed news was imparted to me.-Gone, the villain! in quest of her not to return, nor to see my face (so it seems he declared) till he has heard some tidings of her; and all the out-ofplace varlets of his numerous acquaintance are summoned and employed in the same business. To what purpose brought I this angel (angel I must yet call her) to this hellish house ?-And was I not meditating to do her deserved honour? By my soul, Belford, I was resolved-but thou knowest what I had conditionally resolved-and now, who can tell into what hands she may have fallen! I am mad, stark mad, by Jupiter, at the thoughts of this!—Unprovided, destitute, unacquainted—some villain, worse than myself, who adores her not as I adore her, may have seized her, and taken advantage of her distress! -Let me perish, Belford, if a whole hecatomb of innocents, as the little plagues are called, shall atone for the broken promise and wicked artifices of this cruel creature! This is the substance of the vile Sinclair's account. She told me, That I had no sooner left the vile house, than Dorcas acquainted the siren (Do, Jack, let me call her names-I beseech thee, Jack, to permit me to call her names!) than Dorcas acquainted her lady with it; and that I had left word, that I was gone to Doctors' Commons, and should be heard of for some hours at the Horn there, if inquired after by the counsellor, or anybody else that afterwards I should be either at the Cocoa-Tree, or King's-Arms, and should not return till late. She then urged her to take some refreshment. She was in tears when Dorcas approached her; her |