r inflicting some disgraceful punishment on
the shameless and insatiate termagant who had so impudently avowed her
own prostitution.

They were interrupted, however, in their conference, by the arrival of
a new guest, who being announced by Hadgi, our hero retreated to his
lurking-place, and Cadwallader resumed his mysterious appearance. This
new client, though she hid her face in a mask, could not conceal herself
from the knowledge of the conjurer, who, by her voice, recognised her
to be an unmarried lady of his own acquaintance. She had, within a small
compass of time, made herself remarkable for two adventures, which had
not at all succeeded to her expectation. Being very much addicted to
play, she had, at a certain rout, indulged that passion to such
excess, as not only got the better of her justice, but also of her
circumspection, so that she was unfortunately detected in her endeavours
to appropriate to herself what was not lawfully her due. This small slip
was attended with another indiscretion, which had likewise an unlucky
effect upon her reputation. She had been favoured with the addresses of
one of those hopeful heirs who swarm and swagger about town, under the
denomination of bucks; and, in the confidence of his honour, consented
to be one of a party that made an excursion as far as Windsor, thinking
herself secured from scandal by the company of another young lady,
who had also condescended to trust her person to the protection of her
admirer. The two gallants, in the course of this expedition, were said
to use the most perfidious means to intoxicate the passions of their
mistresses by mixing drugs with their wine, which inflamed their
constitutions to such a degree, that they fell an easy sacrifice to the
appetites of their conductors, who, upon their return to town, were so
base and inhuman as to boast among their companions of the exploit they
had achieved. Thus the story was circulated, with a thousand additional
circumstances to the prejudice of the sufferers, one of whom had thought
proper to withdraw into the country, until the scandal raised at her
expense should subside; while the other, who was not so easily put
out of countenance, resolved to outface the report, as a treacherous
aspersion, invented by her lover as an excuse for his own inconstancy;
and actually appeared in public, as usual, till she found herself
neglected by the greatest part of her acquaintance.

In consequence of this disgrac