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230 I knew not what to say to him a good while, but blushed, and, looking up towards him, said I was already made happy in the favour of a person of such rank, and had nothing to ask of his Highness but that he would believe me infinitely obliged.

After he had eaten, he poured the sweetmeats into my lap; and the wine being out, he called his gentleman again to take away the table, who, at first, only took the cloth and the remains of what was to eat away; and, laying another cloth, set the table on one side of the room, with a noble service of plate upon it, worth at least two hundred pistoles. Then, having set the two decanters again upon the table, filled as before, he withdrew; for I found the fellow understood his business very well, and his lord's business too.

About half-an-hour after, the prince told me that I offered to wait a little before, that if I would now take the trouble he would give me leave to give him some wine; so I went to the table, filled a glass of wine, and brought it to him on a fine salver, which the glasses stood on, and brought the bottle or decanter for water in my other hand, to mix as he thought fit.

He smiled, and bid me look on that salver, which I did, and admired it much, for it was a very fine one indeed. 'You may see', says he, 'I resolve to have more of your company, for my servant shall leave you that plate for my use.' I told him I believed his Highness would not take it ill that I was not furnished fit to entertain a person of his rank, and that I would take great care of it, and value myself infinitely upon the honour of his Highness's visit.

It now began to grow late, and he began to take notice of it. 'But', says he, 'I cannot leave you; have you not a spare lodging for one night?' I told him I had but a homely lodging to entertain such a guest. He said something exceeding kind on that head, but not fit to repeat, adding that my company would make him amends. About midnight he sent his gentleman of an errand, after telling him aloud that he intended to stay here all night. In a little time his gentle man brought him a nightgown, slippers, two caps, a neckcloth, and shirt, which he gave me to carry into his chamber, and sent his man home; and then, turning to me, said I should do him the honour to be his chamberlain of the household, and his dresser also. I smiled, and told him I would do myself the honour to wait on him upon all occasions.

About one in the morning, while his gentleman was yet with him, I begged leave to withdraw, supposing he would go to bed; but he took the hint, and said, 'I'm not going to bed yet; pray let me see you again.'

I took this time to undress me, and to come in a new dress, which was, in a manner, une déshabille, but so fine, and all about me so clean and so agreeable, that he seemed surprised. 'I thought', says he, 'you could not have dressed to more advantage than you had done before; but now', says he, 'you charm me a thousand times more, if that be possible,'

'It is only a loose habit, my lord', said I, 'that I may the better wait on your Highness.' He pulls me to him. 'You are perfectly obliging', says he; and, sitting on the bedside, says he, 'Now you shall be a princess, and know what it is to oblige the gratefullest man alive'; and with that he took me in his arms. ... I can go no farther in the particulars of what passed at that time, but it ended in this, that, in short, I lay with him all night. I have given you the whole detail of this story to lay it down as a black