The
painter himself made an effort to join their mirth; but he had
been so harrowed by fear, and smarted so much with the pain of the
discipline he had received from Pickle, that be could not, with
all his endeavours, vanquish the ruefulness of his countenance. His
attempt served only to increase the awkwardness of his situation,
which was not at all mended by the behaviour of the coquette, who,
furious with her disappointment, slipped on a petticoat and bedgown,
and springing upon him, like mother Hecuba, with her nails deprived
all one side of his nose of the skin; and would not have left him
an eye to see through, if some of the company had not rescued him
from her unmerciful talons. Provoked at this outrage, as well as
by her behaviour to him in the diligence, he publicly explained
his intention in entering her chamber in this equipage; and missing
the Hebrew among the spectators, assured them that he must have
absconded somewhere in the apartment. In pursuance of this intimation,
the room was immediately searched, and the mortified Levite pulled
up by the heels from his lurking-place; so that Pallet had the good
fortune, at last, to transfer the laugh from himself to his rival
and the French inamorata, who accordingly underwent the ridicule
of the whole audience.
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