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 composed the chief support of her house, and made very liberal presents to the girls that pleased and humour'd them, so that they were properly speaking the founders, and patrons of this little Seraglio. Not but that she had, at proper seasons, other customers to deal with, whom she stood less upon punctilio with, than with these: for instance, it was not on one of them she could attempt to pass me for a maid; they were not only too knowing, too much town-bred, to bite at such a bait, but they were such generous benefactors to her, that it would be unpardonable to think of it.

Amidst all the flutter and emotion which this promise of pleasure, for such I conceived it, stir'd up in me, I preserv'd so much of the woman as to feign just reluctance enough, to make some merit of sacrificing it to the influence of my patroness, whom I likewise, still in character, reminded of its perhaps being right for me to go home and dress in favour of my first impressions.

Rh