ely fate of this fair blossom, Lord
-- came down, and demanded me as his wife; but the suit which I then
maintained against him deprived him, for the present, of a husband's
right; and therefore the duke would not deliver me into his hands.
In six months he repeated his visit and demand; and an agreement was
patched up, in consequence of which I consented to live in the same
house with him, on condition that he should never desire to sleep with
me, or take any other measure to disturb my peace; otherwise I should
be at liberty to leave him again, and entitled to the provision of a
separate maintenance. To these articles I assented, by the advice of my
lawyers, with a view of obtaining the payment of my pin-money, which I
had never received since our parting, but subsisted on the sale of my
jewels, which were very considerable, and had been presented to me with
full power of alienation. As to my lover, he had no fortune to support
me; and for that reason I was scrupulously cautious of augmenting his
expense.

"We had now enjoyed each other's company for three years, during which
our mutual passions had suffered no abatement, nor had my happiness been
mixed with any considerable alloy, except that late stroke of providence
which I have already mentioned, and the reflection of the sorrow that
my conduct had entailed upon my dear father, whom I loved beyond
expression, and whom nothing could have compelled me to disoblige but a
more powerful flame, that prevailed over every other consideration. As I
was now forced to break off this enchanting correspondence, it is not to
be doubted that our parting cost us the most acute sensations of grief
and disappointment. However, there was no remedy. I tore myself from
his arms, took my leave of the family, after having acknowledged my
obligations to the duke, and set out for the place of rendezvous, where
I was met by my lord, attended by a steward whom he had lately engaged,
and who was one chief cause of our future separations. My lord, having
quitted his house in town, conducted me to his lodgings in Pall Mall,
and insisted upon sleeping with me the first night; but I refused to
gratify his desire, on the authority of our agreement.

"This dispute produced a quarrel, in consequence of which I attempted to
leave the house. He endeavouring to prevent my retreat, I fairly locked
him in, ran down-stairs, and, calling a hackney-coach, made the best of
my way into the city, to my fathe