Offer of this

Partridge had lately made no Kind; whether it was that he defired to fee the Bank-bill broke in upon, or that Dif tress should prevail on Jones to return Home, or from what other Motive it proceeded, I will not determine.

CHA P. VII.

Containing the whole Humours of a Maf querade.

O

UR Cavaliers now arrived at that Temple, where Heydegger, the great Arbiter Deliciarum, the great High-Priest of Pleasure prefides; and, like other Hea then Priefts, impofes on his Votaries by the pretended Prefence of the Deity, when in reality no fuch Deity is there.

Mr. Nightingale having taken a Turn or two with his Companion, foon left him, and walked off with a Female, faying, Now you are here, Sir, you must beat about for your own Game.'

Jones began to entertain ftrong Hopes that his Sophia was prefent; and these Hopes gave him more Spirits than the

Lights,

Lights, the Mufic, and the Company; though these are pretty strong Antidotes a gainst the Spleen. He now accosted every Woman he faw, whofe Stature, Shape, or Air, bore any Refemblance to his Angel. To all of whom he endeavoured to say fomething fmart, in order to engage an Anfwer, by which he might difcover that Voice which he thought it impoffible he fhould mistake. Some of these answeredby a Question, in a fqueaking Voice, Do you know me? Much the greater Numbers faid, I don't know you, Sir; and nothing. more. Some called him an impertinent Fellow; fome made him no Answer at all; fome faid, Indeed I don't know your" Voice, and I fhall have nothing to fay to you; and many gave him as kind Anfwers as he could wish, but not in the Voice he defired to hear.

Whilft he was talking with one of these laft, (who was in the Habit of a Shepherdefs) a Lady in a Domino came up to him, and flapping him on the Shoulder, whispered him, at the fame Time, in the Ear, If you talk any longer with that Trollop, I will acquaint Mifs Western?

Jones no fooner heard that Nane, than,' immediately quitting his former Companion, he applied to the Domino, begging and entreating her to fhew him the Lady the had mentioned, if he was then in the Room. -ipla

The Mask walked haftily to the upper End of the innermoft Apartment before she fpoke, and then, inftead of answering him, fat down, and declared fhe was tired. Jones fat down by her, and still perfifted in his Entreaties; at laft the Lady coldly answered, I imagined Mr. Jones had been a more difcerning Lover, than to fuffer any Difguife to conceal his Mistress from • him.' Is fhe here then, Madam ?' replied Jones, with much Vehemence. Upon which the Lady cry'd, 6 - Hufh, Sir, you will be observed. I promise you, upon my Honour, Mifs Western is not •here.*

Jones now taking the Mask by the Hand, fell to entreating her in the moft earnest Manner, to acquaint him where he might find Sophia: And when he could obtain no direct Answer, he began to upbraid her gently for having difappointed him the Day

before;

Ma

before; and concluded, faying, Indeed, my good Fairy Queen, I know your jefty very well, notwithstanding the affected Difguife of your Voice. Indeed, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, it is a little cruel to di vert yourself at the Expence of my Tor

"ments.'

The Mask answered, Though you have fo ingeniously discovered me, I must still fpeak in the fame 'be known by others. good Sir, that I have

Voice, left I should And do And do you think, no greater Regard for my Coufin, than to aflift in carrying: on an Affair between you two, which • must end in her Ruin, as well as your own? Befides, I promise you, my Coufin is not 'mad enough to confent to her own Des struction, if you are so much her Enemy as to tempt her to it.

Alas, Madam, faid Jones, you little "know my Heart, when you call me an Enemy of Sophia.

And yet to ruin any one, cries the other, you will allow, is the Act of an Enemy; and when by the fame Act you 'must knowingly and certainly bring Ruin on yourself, is it not Folly or Madness,

D 5

as

.

as well as Guilt? Now, Sir, my Coufin hath very little more than her Father will please to give her; very little for one of her Fashion,-you know him, and : you know your own Situation.'

Jones vowed he had no fuch Design on Sophia, That he would rather fuffer the • most violent of Deaths than facrifice her

Intereft to his Defires. He faid, he knew • how unworthy he was of her every Way; that he had long ago refolved to quit all fuch afpiring Thoughts, but that fome ftrange Accidents had made him defirous to fee her once more, when he promised ⚫ he would take Leave of her for ever. No, • Madam, concluded he, my Love is not of that bafe Kind which fecks its own Satisfaction, at the Expence of what is most dear to its Object. I would facri<fice every Thing to the Poffeffion of my *Sophia, but Sophia herself.'

Though the Reader may have already conceived no very fublime Idea of the Virtue of the Lady in the Mafk; and tho' poffibly the may hereafter appear not to deferve one of the firit Characters of her Sex; yet, it is certain, thefe generous Sentiments made a strong Impreffion upon her,

and