s seraglio.

He came up to them, as they were giving their baskets in guard to the
coachman, with orders to wait for them exactly in that place. Brounker
immediately pushed in between them: as soon as they saw him, they gave
themselves up for lost; but he, without taking the least notice of their
surprise, took Price aside with one hand, and his purse with the other,
and began immediately to enter upon business, but was astonished to
perceive that she turned away her face, without either answering or
looking at him: As this conduct appeared to him unnatural, he stared her
full in the face, notwithstanding all her endeavours to prevent him: he
did the same to the other: and immediately recognised them, but
determined to conceal his discovery.

The old fox possessed a wonderful command of temper on such occasions,
and having teazed them a little longer to remove all suspicions he
quitted them, telling Price; "That she was a great fool to refuse his
offers, and that her girl would not, perhaps, get so much in a year, as
she might with him in one day; that the times were greatly changed, since
the queen's and the duchess's maids of honour forestalled the market, and
were to be had cheaper than the town ladies." Upon this he went back to
his coach, whilst they blessed themselves, returning heaven their most
hearty thanks for having escaped this danger without being discovered.

Brounker, on the other hand, would not have taken a thousand guineas for
this rencounter: he blessed the Lord that he had not alarmed them to such
a degree as to frustrate their intention; for he made no doubt but Miss
Price had managed some intrigue for Miss Jennings: he therefore
immediately concluded, that at present it would be improper to make known
his discovery, which would have answered no other end but to have
overwhelmed them with confusion.

Upon this account, although Jermyn was one of his best friends, he felt a
secret joy in not having prevented his being made a cuckold, before his
marriage; and the apprehension he was in of preserving him from that
accident, was his sole reason for quitting them with the precautions
aforementioned.

Whilst they were under these alarms, their coachman was engaged in a
squabble with some blackguard boys, who had gathered round his coach in
order to steal the oranges: from words they came to blows: the two nymphs
saw the commencement of the fray as they were returning to the coach,
after having abando