s over us.
What pleasure she had found I will not say; but this I know, that the
first sparks of kindling nature, the first ideas of pollution, were
caught by me that night; and that the acquaintance and communication
with the bad of our sex, is often as fatal to innocence as all the
seductions of the other. But to go on. When Phoebe was restored to that
calm, which I was far from the enjoyment of myself, she artfully sounded
me on all the points necessary to govern the designs of my virtuous
mistress on me, and by my answers, drawn from pure undissembled nature,
she had no reason but to promise herself all imaginable success, so far
as it depended on my ignorance, easiness and warmth of constitution.

After a sufficient length of dialogue, my bedfellow left me to my rest,
and I fell asleep, through pure weariness, from the violent emotions
I had been led into, when nature which had been too warmly stirred and
fermented to subside without allaying by some means or other relieved
me by one of those luscious dreams, the transports of which are scarce
inferior to those of waking real action.

In the morning I awoke about ten, perfectly gay and refreshed. Phoebe
was up before me, and asked me in the kindest manner how I did, how I
had rested, and if I was ready for breakfast? carefully, at the same
time, avoiding to increase the confusion she saw I was in, at looking
her in the face, by any hint of the night's bed scene. I told her if she
pleased I would get up, and begin any work she would be pleased to set
me about. She smiled; presently the maid brought in the tea equipage,
and I just huddled my clothes on, when in waddled my mistress. I
expected no less than to be told of, if not chid for, my late rising,
when I was most agreeably disappointed by her compliments on my pure
and fresh looks. I was "a bud of beauty" (this was her style), "and how
vastly all the fine men would admire me!" to all which my answers did
not, I can assure you, wrong my breeding; they were as simple and silly
as they could wish, and, no doubt, flattered them infinitely more than
had they proved me enlightened by education and a knowledge of the
world.

We breakfasted, and the tea things were scarce removed, when in were
brought two bundles of linen and wearing apparel: in short, all the
necessaries for rigging me out, as they termed it, completely.

Imagine to yourself, Madam, how my little coquet heart fluttered with
joy at the sight of a wh