ecessity of attending him with more care,
as he could not with decency detach himself from the lady whom he
should introduce; besides, such a connection would hinder the ladies of
pleasure from accosting and employing their seducing arts upon a person
already engaged.

Our young gentleman foreseeing the abundance of diversion in the
execution of this project, seconded the proposal with such importunity
and address, that the painter allowed himself to be habited in a suit
belonging to the landlady, who also procured for him a mask and domino,
while Pickle provided himself with a Spanish dress. In this disguise,
which they put on about eleven o'clock, did they, attended by Pipes,
set out in a fiacre for the ball-room, into which Pickle led this
supposititious female, to the astonishment of the whole company, who had
never seen such an uncouth figure in the appearance of a woman.

After they had taken a view of all the remarkable masks, and the painter
had been treated with a of glass of liqueur, his mischievous companion
gave him the slip; and, vanishing in an instant, returned with
another mask and a domino over his habit, that he might enjoy Pallet's
perplexity, and be at hand to protect him from insult. The poor painter,
having lost his guide, was almost distracted with anxiety, and stalked
about the room, in quest of him, with such huge strides and oddity of
gesture, that he was followed by a whole multitude, who gazed at him as
a preternatural phenomenon. This attendance increased his uneasiness
to such a degree, that he could not help uttering a soliloquy aloud, in
which he cursed his fate for having depended upon the promise of such a
wag; and swore, that if once he was clear of this scrape, he would
not bring himself into such a premunire again for the whole kingdom of
France.

Divers petit-maitres, understanding the mask was a foreigner, who in all
probability could not speak French, made up to him in their turns, in
order to display their wit and address, and teased him with several arch
questions, to which he made no other reply than "No parly Francy. D--
your chattering! Go about your business, can't ye." Among the masks
was a nobleman, who began to be very free with the supposed lady, and
attempted to plunge his hand into her bosom: hut the painter was too
modest to suffer such indecent treatment; and when the gallant repeated
his efforts in a manner still more indelicate, lent him such a box
on the ear, a