This gave her an opportunity of seeing in what manner too many of the great world passed their time, and how small regard some of them pay to the marriage vow:  everyday presented her with examples of husbands, who behaved with no more than a cold civility to their own wives, and carried the fervor of their addresses to those of other men; and of wives who seemed rather to glory in, than be ashamed of a train of admirers.  How senseless would these people think me, said she to herself, did they know I chose rather to work for my bread in mean obscurity, than yield to marry where I could not love.—­Tenderness, mutual affection, and constancy.  I find, are things not thought requisite to the happiness of a wedded state; and interest and convenience alone consulted.  Yet was she far from repenting having rejected Dorilaus, or being in the lead influenced by the example of others.—­The adventures she was witness of made her, indeed, more knowing of the world, but were far from corrupting those excellent morals she had received from nature, and had been so well improved by a strict education, that she not only loved virtue for its own sake, but despised and hated vice, tho’ disguised under the most specious pretences.

Her youth, beauty, and a certain sprightliness in her air, was too engaging to be in the house of such a woman as mrs.  C——­ge, (for so this court-milliner was called) without being very much taken notice of; and tho’ most of the gentlemen who came there had some particular object in view, yet that did not hinder them from saying soft things to the pretty Louisa as often as they had opportunity.  Among the number of those who pretended to admire her was mr.  B——­n, afterwards lord F——­h; but his addresses were so far from making any impression on her in favour of his person or suit, that the one was wholly indifferent to her, and the other so distasteful, that to avoid being persecuted with it, she entreated mrs.  C——­ge to permit her to work above stairs, that she might be out of the way of all such solicitations for the future, either from him or any other.  This request was easily complied with, and the rather because she, who knew not the strength of her journey-woman’s resolution, nor the principles she had been bred in, was sometimes in fear of losing so great a help to her business, by the temptations that might be offered in a place so much exposed to sight.  Mr. B——­n no sooner missed her, than he enquired with a good deal of earnestness for her; and on mrs.  C——­ge’s telling him she was gone away from her house, became so impatient to know where, and on what account she had left her, that this woman thinking it would be of advantage to her to own the truth, (for she did nothing without that view) turned off the imposition with a smile, and said, that perceiving the inclinations he had for her, she had sent her upstairs that no other addresses might be a hindrance to his designs.—­This pleased him very well, and he ran directly to the