We will now return to our heroine, who, in a few months after her arrival at H — Hall, began to wish for a change in situation. She had heard much praise of London, and imagined, with a great deal of truth, that her lovely person would not long remain in that gay metropolis unnoticed. Being naturally of a warm constitution, Miss Polly, in reality, sighed to taste of those joys of which she has yet only an idea, and was firmly resolved that it should not be long before she parted with that, which, in her present situation, was a torment to her, though in general reckoned a blessing and a virtue.
The colonel had not been at all niggardly to his lovely mistress, but what he had bestowed upon her was chiefly for the decoration of her lovely person. The purse, the first present he had made her, was now almost exhausted. This made our heroine determine that at the first opportunity every possible means should be taken to fill it again, or to get another, and then to set out for London.
One night when the cloth was taken away after supper, the colonel and Polly being tete-a-tete, she thought it a proper time to begin her manoeuvres, as she well knew her old lover had that day received a great quantity of that valuable desideratum, some of which she hoped to obtain.
"My dear Sir, you seem a little fatigued; your tenants were so troublesome to you this morning!"
"Indeed, my love, I am; but I have not forgotten you. That parcel on the table is yours, my charming girl; so are these stockings; do, my dear, permit me to draw a pair on those charming limbs. Come, put your pretty foot upon my knee."
Polly did as she was directed. The colonel placed the candle on the floor, that his optics might be more capable of seeing his way; he could not help placing his withered hand above her knee. The touch was ecstatic — the stocking was forgotten — his pulse beat quick, and his whole frame shook; and while his rude hand advanced Polly grasped the purse, which the colonel in his agitation had left upon the table.
"Put it in your pocket, angelic woman!" were now the only words the trembling colonel could articulate.
As Polly removed her foot from the colonel's knee, one of her snowy breasts came in contact with his face. "Oh, heaven!"
He said no more, and absolutely fainted. Polly was frightened, but her fears were soon dissipated when she saw her lover open his eyes.
"My charmer, I feel new vigour; suffer me to come to your chamber tonight."
At a reasonable time the impatient lover approached to what he hoped would be the chamber of bliss. Polly was a most irresistible figure, shrouded only in her chemise. The colonel had used the most stimulating provocatives, and it must be confessed that he had acquired a greater share of vigour than he had possessed for many years before, and was, with a little assistance, able to wage war with a willing victim; but our heroine was fully determined that her virginity should not be sacrificed at this time; having determined very shortly to bestow it on some more worthy votary of the Cyprian goddess.
As a merchant worth one hundred thousand pounds sometimes loses the whole in an hour, through the fickleness of one deity; so, by the precipitancy of another, did our old hero in one moment find himself robbed of all that store of manhood which had been accumulating for years back. Polly played off an evolution which answered her purpose, and which appeared as a perfect accident. The particulars our invariable modesty prevents us giving. Often since, however, has this charming girl, when her spirits were enlivened with the juice of the exhilarating bowl, related to her enraptured lovers the particulars of this entertaining scene. The liveliness of description and the warmth of colouring were expressed in such an animated style that her astonished auditors for the time believed the lovely narrator to be moved by the spirit.
Our heroine had now, by the recent bounty of the colonel, sufficient to defray her expenses to town, as well as something to subsist on whilst there. She therefore determined to engage a place in the stage coach, which passed by H — Hall every day. This being done, and having conveyed as many of her clothes as she conveniently could to a cottage bordering on the high road, she fixed a time for her departure. We will not relate the means taken to get away from H- Hall unobserved, or the consternation that ensued there when it was discovered that the housekeeper's niece had eloped; but must hasten to our heroine, who is now with a gay young barrister, the only other passenger in the coach, on the direct road to the great metropolis.
It cannot be supposed that this limb of the law could coolly observe the exquisite loveliness of his companion; he soon entered into conversation with her, and if he before admired the beauties of her person, he was now not less charmed with the brilliancy of her wit. Finding she was not averse to love, he plied her with the kind of language which a man that is long acquainted with the world knows how to use with success. Our heroine was quite captivated with him, and as night grew on, suffered him to take a few liberties, which might have alarmed the delicacy of a more modest woman, but Miss Polly thought no harm in granting. The natural warmth of our heroine's constitution could not long resist the ecstatic dalliance which ensued without discovering those palpitations which to the feelings of a lover and a seducer are so delightful. Her watchful companion soon perceived that the wished-for moment had arrived, and without any further ceremony daringly advanced to the centre of earthly joy. Modesty, or rather mock-modesty, gently resisted.
It is well-known that in love resistance, instead of allaying, inflames the passions to a greater degree. This was the case with our successful pleader, for his presumption, had no sooner thrown his fellow-traveller wholly in his power than a large stone in the road upset his most devout intentions, and had he been on horseback, it might have been said that he was fairly tossed out of the saddle.
This sad discomfiture — attended with other little incidents, which we must omit describing, induced the barrister to make a speech on the inconveniences of stage coaches, in the conclusion of which he moved that the trial should be put off till their arrival in London.
London was not speedily reached in those days, and singularly fortunate were the individuals who could gain the metropolis without some little adventure. It was not the lucky fate of our heroine to miss a little affair which served at least to break the monotony of the journey. Soon after the incident related in our last chapter a party of gypsies were encountered, who encamped by the road side, presented a most picturesque appearance. Over sparkling fires pots were hung, and anyone near enough could sniff the fragrant flavour which rose from them, none the less grateful to the olfactory organ because the chickens which were cooking were stolen.
"Of all things in the world," said Polly, "I have dearly longed to spend a night in a gypsy camp."
"Don't talk of spending," said her companion; "it brings to my mind too keenly my disappointment. But it is a strange whim of yours, and stranger still that I have for years entertained the same notion. It shall be done! Gypsies are strange people, there may be some fun to be had with them. I don't know about stopping the night. We will at least make their acquaintance."
It has already been stated that our fair heroine and the barrister were the only occupants of the coach, no other passengers then could be inconvenienced by delay. A present to the coachman and post-boy soon overcame their scruples; their ready wit could easily invent some lie to account for the delay to their masters, and so the matter was quickly arranged; the coach was stopped, and young Capias (for so our barrister was called) and Polly approached the gypsies.