Because this little devil made her first sacrifice at my altar, she thinks she may take any liberty with me:  and what makes her outrageous at times is, that I have, for a long time, studiously, as she says, slighted her too-readily-offered favours:  But is it not very impudent in her to think, that I will be any man’s successor?  It is not come to that neither.  This, thou knowest, was always my rule—­Once any other man’s, and I know it, and never more mine.  It is for such as thou, and thy brethren, to take up with harlots.  I have been always aiming at the merit of a first discoverer.

The more devil I, perhaps thou wilt say, to endeavour to corrupt the uncorrupted.

But I say, not; since, hence, I have but very few adulteries to answer for.

One affair, indeed, at Paris, with a married lady [I believe I never told thee of it] touched my conscience a little:  yet brought on by the spirit of intrigue, more than by sheer wickedness.  I’ll give it thee in brief: 

’A French marquis, somewhat in years, employed by his court in a public function at that of Madrid, had put his charming young new-married wife under the controul and wardship, as I may say, of his insolent sister, an old prude.

’I saw the lady at the opera.  I liked her at first sight, and better at second, when I knew the situation she was in.  So, pretending to make my addresses to the prude, got admittance to both.

’The first thing I had to do, was to compliment the prude into shyness by complaints of shyness:  next, to take advantage of the marquise’s situation, between her husband’s jealousy and his sister’s arrogance; and to inspire her with resentment; and, as I hoped, with a regard to my person.  The French ladies have no dislike to intrigue.

’The sister began to suspect me:  the lady had no mind to part with the company of the only man who had been permitted to visit her; and told me of her sister’s suspicions.  I put her upon concealing the prude, as if unknown to me, in a closet in one of her own apartments, locking her in, and putting the key in her own pocket:  and she was to question me on the sincerity of my professions to her sister, in her sister’s hearing.

’She complied.  My mistress was locked up.  The lady and I took our seats.  I owned fervent love, and made high professions:  for the marquise put it home to me.  The prude was delighted with what she heard.

’And how dost thou think it ended?—­I took my advantage of the lady herself, who durst not for her life cry out; and drew her after me to the next apartment, on pretence of going to seek her sister, who all the time was locked up in the closet.’

No woman ever gave me a private meeting for nothing; my dearest Miss Harlowe excepted.

’My ingenuity obtained my pardon:  the lady being unable to forbear laughing throughout the whole affair, to find both so uncommonly tricked; her gaoleress her prisoner, safe locked up, and as much pleased as either of us.’