Page:Lady Barbarity; a romance (IA ladybarbarityrom00snai).pdf/72

 never a friend nor a horse hereby, nor a penny to procure them."

Meantime I was in a panic of alarm on my own account. To a woman of the mode a pair of unblemished shoulders are highly requisite when she repairs to Vauxhall, the playhouse, or the King's levee. No sooner did the fear oppress me that one of them was permanently mutilated than I discarded my vapidity and went like the wind from the meadow to my chamber to resolve the matter to the test. I cannot possibly convey to you the distresses of hope and fear I suffered on that journey. I never felt my wound at all now, and was hardly conscious of my weariness. Thus in a surprising little time I was running up the staircase to my chamber. Emblem was toasting her toes at the hearth, and was very properly asleep and dreaming of white satin. My vigorous entrance woke her, though.

"Come, wench, bestir yourself!" cries I, in my fever of alarm, "and find me the lowest-necked evening bodice I have got. Now, out with it at once and dress me in it, or, 'pon my soul! you shall not have that satin gown I promised you."

At the mention of the gown she flew to a wardrobe and produced the necessary article with a palpitating suddenness; whilst I threw off my cloak and ordered Mrs. Polly to remove the present bloodied bodice that I wore, heedless of wounds and other mortal things of that sort.

"Blood! oh, it's blood, my lady!" cries Mrs.