n it... she would not for a thousand pounds have any of the
servants or apprentices know it... her precious good name would be gone
for ever...," with the like excuses. However, on superior objections to
all other expedients, whilst she took care to start none but those which
were most liable to them it came round at last to the necessity of her
obliging' him in that conveniency, and of doing a little more where she
had already done so much.

The night then was fixed, with all possible respect to the eagerness
of his impatience, and in the mean time Mrs. Cole had omitted no
instructions, nor even neglected any preparation, that might enable me
to come off with honour, in regard to the appearance of my virginity,
except that, favoured as I was by nature with all the narrowness
of stricture in that part requisite to conduct my designs, I had no
occasion to borrow those auxiliaries of art that create a momentary
one, easily discovered by the test of a warm bath; and as to the usual
sanguinary symptoms of defloration, which, if not always, are generally
attendants on it, Mrs. Cole had made me the mistress of an invention of
her own, which could hardly miss its effect, and of which more in its
place.

Every thing then being disposed and fixed for Mr. Norbert's reception,
he was, at the hour of eleven at night, with all the mysteries of
silence and secrecy, let in by Mrs. Cole herself, and introduced into
her bedchamber, where, in an old-fashioned bed of her's, I lay, fully
undressed, and panting, if not with the fears of a real maid, at least
with those perhaps greater of a dissembled one which gave me an air of
confusion and bashfulness that maiden-modesty had all the honour of,
and was indeed scarce distinguishable from it, even by less partial eyes
than those of my lover: so let me call him, for I ever thought the term
"cully" too cruel a reproach to the men, for their abused weakness for
us.

As soon as Mrs. Cole, after the old gossipery, on these occasions, used
to young women abandoned for the first time to the will of man, had
left us alone in her room, which, by the bye was well lighted up, at
his previous desire, that seemed to bode a stricter examination than
he afterwards made, Mr. Norbert, still dressed, sprung towards the bed,
where I got my head under the clothes, and defended them a good while
before he could even get at my lips, to kiss them: so true it is, that a
false virtue, on this occasion, even makes