[19]
Brown, with a tone to cut off all dispute, soon over-ruled all my most humble and most confused protestations against sitting down with her Ladyship, which my very short breeding just suggested to me could not be right, or in the order of things.
At table, the conversation was chiefly kept up by the two madams, and carried on in double meaning expressions, interrupted every now and then by kind assurances to me, all tending to confirm and fix my satisfaction with my present condition: augment it they could not, so very a novice was I then.
It was here agreed that I should keep myself up and out of sight for a few days, till such cloaths could be procured for me, as were fit for the character I was to appear in, of my mistress's companion, observing withal, that on the first impressions of my figure, much might depend; and as they rightly judged, the prospect of exchanging my country cloaths for London finery, made the clause of confinement digest perfectly well with me. But the truth was, Mrs. Brown did not care that I should be seen or talked to by any, either of her customers, or her Does, (as they called the girls provided for them) till she had secured a good market for my maidenhead, which I had at least all the appearances of having brought into her Ladyship's service.
To
