He had flattered himself, that this gentlewoman would
decline the proposal, as she was a person seemingly of a demure
disposition, who had been born and bred in the city, where such
diversions are looked upon as scenes of lewdness and debauchery.
For once, however, he reckoned without his host; curiosity is as
prevalent in the city as at the court end of the town. Emilia no
sooner signified her assent to his proposal, than her friend, with
an air of satisfaction, agreed to make one of the party; and he was
obliged to thank her for that complaisance, which laid him under
infinite mortification. He set his genius at work to invent some
scheme for preventing her unseasonable intrusion. Had an opportunity
offered, he would have acted as her physician, and administered a
medicine that would have laid her under the necessity of staying
at home. But his acquaintance with her being too slight to furnish
him with the means of executing this expedient, he devised another,
which was practised with all imaginable success. Understanding
that her grandmother had left her a sum of money independent of
her parents, he conveyed a letter to her mother, intimating, that
her daughter, on pretence of going to the masquerade, intended
to bestow herself in marriage to a certain person, and that in a
few days she would be informed of the circumstances of the whole
intrigue, provided she would keep this information secret, and
contrive some excuse for detaining the young lady at home, without
giving her cause to believe she was apprised of her intention.
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