om thence. He quitted this perfidious place
with much greater expedition than he had arrived at it, though his
mind was far from being occupied with such tender and agreeable ideas:
however, when he thought himself at a sufficient distance to be out of
danger of meeting Lord Chesterfield and his hounds, he chose to look
back, that he might at least have the satisfaction of seeing the prison
where this wicked enchantress was confined; but what was his surprise,
when he saw a very fine house, situated on the banks of a river, in
the most delightful and pleasant country imaginable. Neither rock nor
precipice was here to be seen; for, in reality, they were only in
the letter of his perfidious mistress. This furnished fresh cause for
resentment and confusion to a man who thought himself so well acquainted
with all the wiles, as well as weaknesses, of the fair sex; and who now
found himself the dupe of a coquette, who was reconciled to her husband
in order to be revenged on her lover.

At last he reached London, well furnished with arguments to maintain
that a man must be extremely weak to trust to the tenderness of a woman
who has once deceived him, but that he must be a complete fool to run
after her.

This adventure not being much to his credit, he suppressed, as much as
possible, both the journey and the circumstances attending it; but, as
we may easily suppose, Lady Chesterfield made no secret of it, the king
came to the knowledge of it; and, having complimented Hamilton upon it,
desired to be informed of all the particulars of the expedition. The
Chevalier de Grammont happened to be present at this recital; and,
having gently inveighed against the treacherous manner in which he had
been used, said: "If she is to be blamed for carrying the jest so
far, you are no less to be blamed for coming back so suddenly, like an
ignorant novice. I dare lay an hundred guineas, she has more than once
repented of a resentment which you pretty well deserved for the trick
you had played her: women love revenge; but their resentments seldom
last long; and if you had remained in the neighbourhood till the next
day, I will be hanged if she would not have given you satisfaction for
the first night's sufferings." Hamilton being of a different opinion,
the Chevalier de Grammont resolved to maintain his assertion by a case
in point; and, addressing himself to the king: "Sir," said he, "your
majesty, I suppose, must have known Marion de l'Orme,