r entangled within his snares,
as that neither the suggestions of honour, prudence, nor pride, should
be able to disengage it. Armed with this resolution, he restrained
the impatience of his temper within the limits of the most delicate
deportment. After having solicited and obtained permission to attend
her to the next opera, he took her by the hand, and, pressing it to his
lips, in the most respectful manner, went away, leaving her in a most
whimsical state of suspense, chequered with an interesting vicissitude
of hope and fear. On the appointed day, he appeared again about five
o'clock in the afternoon, and found her native charms so much improved
by the advantages of dress, that he was transported with admiration
and delight; and, while he conducted her to the Haymarket, could scarce
bridle the impetuosity of his passion, so as to observe the forbearing
maxims he had adopted. When she entered the pit, he had abundance of
food for the gratification of his vanity; for, in a moment, she eclipsed
all the female part of the audience; each individual allowing in her own
heart that the stranger was by far the handsomest woman there present,
except herself.

Here it was that our hero enjoyed a double triumph; he was vain of this
opportunity to enhance his reputation for gallantry among the ladies of
fashion who knew him, and proud of an occasion to display his quality
acquaintance to Emilia, that she might entertain the greater idea of the
conquest she had made, and pay the more deference to his importance in
the sequel of his addresses. That he might profit as much as possible
by this situation, he went up and accosted every person in the pit,
with whom he ever had least communication, whispered and laughed with an
affected air of familiarity, and even bowed at a distance to some of the
nobility, on the slender foundation of having stood near them at court,
or presented them with a pinch of rappee at White's chocolate-house.

This ridiculous ostentation, though now practised with a view of
promoting his design, was a weakness that, in some degree, infected
the whole of his behaviour; for nothing gave him so much joy in
conversation, as an opportunity of giving the company to understand how
well he was with persons of distinguished rank and character. He would
often, for example, observe, as it were occasionally, that the Duke of
G-- was one of the best-natured men in the world, and illustrate this
assertion by some instan