Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/235

 and, as it was not his usual time of going to bed (which he seldom did till four or five in the morning), accidentally roved into the garden. Cynthia at first was startled, but endeavoured as much as possible to conceal her fear, thinking that the appearance of courage and resolution was the best means she could make use of in her present situation. He began at first with talking to her of indifferent things, but soon fell on the subject of his own happiness in thus meeting with her alone. She immediately rose up, and would have left him; but he swore she should hear him out; and promised her, if she would but attend with patience to what he had to say, she should be at liberty to do as she pleased. He then began to compliment her on her understanding, insisted that it was impossible for a woman of her sense to be tied down by the common forms of custom, which were only complied with by fools; then ran through all the arguments he could think of to prove that pleasure is pleasure, and that it is better to be pleased than displeased. Talked of Epicurus' saying, "Pleasure is the chief good;" from which he very wisely concluded, "That vice is the greatest pleasure." In short, his head naturally not being very clear, and being always confused with liquor when it came to be night, he made such a medley between pleasure and pain, virtue and vice, that it was impossible to distinguish I what he had a mind to prove. Cynthia could not help smiling to see a man endeavouring to persuade her that she might follow her inclinations without a crime, while she knew that nothing could so much oppose her gratifying him as her pleasing herself. However, she thought it her wisest way to be civil to him; for although she was not far from the house, yet nothing could have shocked her more than to have been obliged to make a noise. She therefore told him she did