He prosecutes his Design upon Emilia with great Art and Perseverance.
Our adventurer, having by his hypocrisy obtained free access to his
mistress, began the siege by professing the most sincere contrition
for his former levity, and imploring her forgiveness with such earnest
supplication, that, guarded as she was against his flattering arts, she
began to believe his protestations, which were even accompanied with
tears, and abated a good deal of that severity and distance she had
proposed to maintain during this interview. She would not, however,
favour him with the least acknowledgment of a mutual passion, because,
in the midst of his vows of eternal constancy and truth, he did not
mention one syllable of wedlock, though he was now entirely master of
his own conduct, and this consideration created a doubt, which fortified
her against all his attacks. Yet, what her discretion would have
concealed, was discovered by her eyes, which, in spite of all her
endeavours, breathed forth complacency and love; for her inclination
was flattered by her own self-sufficiency, which imputed her admirer's
silence in that particular to the hurry and perturbation of his spirits,
and persuaded her that he could not possibly regard her with any other
than honourable intentions.
The insidious lover exulted in the tenderness of her looks, from which
he presaged a complete victory; but, that he might not overshoot
himself by his own precipitation, he would not run the risk of declaring
himself, until her heart should be so far entangled within his snares,
as that neither the suggestions of honour, prudence, nor pride, should
be able to disengage it. Armed with this resolution, he restrained
the impatience of his temper within the limits of the most delicate
deportment. After having solicited and obtained permission to attend
her to the next opera, he took her by the hand, and, pressing it to his
lips, in the most respectful manner, went away, leaving her in a most
whimsical state of suspense, chequered with an interesting vicissitude
of hope and fear. On the appointed day, he appeared again about five
o'clock in the afternoon, and found her native charms so much improved
by the advantages of dress, that he was transported with admiration
and delight; and, while he conducted her to the Haymarket, could scarce
bridle the impetuosity of his passion, so as to observe the forbearing
maxims he had adopted. When she entered the pit, he had abundance of
food for the gratification of his vanity; for, in a moment, she eclipsed
all the female part of the audience; each individual allowing in her own
heart that the stranger was by far the handsomest woman there present,
except herself.
Here it was that our hero enjoyed a double triumph; he was vain of this
opportunity to enhance his reputation for gallantry among the ladies of
fashion who knew him, and proud of an occasion to display his quality
acquaintance to Emilia, that she might entertain the greater idea of the
conquest she had made, and pay the more deference to his importance in
the sequel of his addresses. That he might profit as much as possible
by this situation, he went up and accosted every person in the pit,
with whom he ever had least communication, whispered and laughed with an
affected air of familiarity, and even bowed at a distance to some of the
nobility, on the slender foundation of having stood near them at court,
or presented them with a pinch of rappee at White's chocolate-house.
This ridiculous ostentation, though now practised with a view of
promoting his design, was a weakness that, in some degree, infected
the whole of his behaviour; for nothing gave him so much joy in
conversation, as an opportunity of giving the company to understand how
well he was with persons of distinguished rank and character. He would
often, for example, observe, as it were occasionally, that the Duke of
G-- was one of the best-natured men in the world, and illustrate this
assertion by some instance of his affability, in which he himself was
concerned. Then, by an abrupt transition, he would repeat some repartee
of Lady T--, and mention a certain bon mot of the Earl of C--, which was
uttered in his hearing.
Abundance of young men in this manner make free with the names, though
they have never had access to the persons of the nobility; but this was
not the case with Peregrine, who, in consideration of his appearance and
supposed fortune, together with the advantage of his introduction, was,
by this time, freely admitted to the tables of the great.
In his return with Emilia from the opera, though he still maintained
the most scrupulous decorum in his behaviour, he plied her with the most
passionate expressions of love, squeezed her hand with great fervency,
protested that his whole soul was engrossed by her idea, and that he
could not exist independent of her favour. Pleased as she was with his
warm and pathetic addresses, together with the respectful manner of his
making love, she yet had prudence and resolution sufficient to contain
her tenderness, which was ready to run over; being fortified against
his arts, by reflecting, that, if his aim was honourable, it was now his
business to declare it. On this consideration, she refused to make any
serious reply to his earnest expostulations, but affected to receive
them as the undetermined effusions of gallantry and good breeding.
This fictitious gaiety and good-humour, though it baffled his hope
of extorting from her an acknowledgment of which he might have taken
immediate advantage, nevertheless encouraged him to observe, as the
chariot passed along the Strand, that the night was far advanced; that
supper would certainly be over before they could reach her uncle's
house; and to propose that he should wait upon her to some place, where
they might be accommodated with a slight refreshment. She was offended
at the freedom of this proposal, which, however, she treated as a joke,
thanking him for his courteous offer, and assuring him, that when she
should be disposed for a tavern treat, he alone would have the honour of
bestowing it.
Her kinsman being engaged with company abroad, and her aunt retired to
rest, he had the good fortune to enjoy a tete-a-tete with her during
a whole hour, which he employed with such consummate skill, that her
caution was almost overcome. He not only assailed her with the artillery
of sighs, vows, prayers, and tears, but even pawned his honour in behalf
of his love. He swore, with many imprecations, that although her heart
was surrendered to him at discretion, there was a principle within him,
which would never allow him to injure such innocence and beauty; and the
transports of his passion had, upon this occasion so far overshot his
purpose, that if she had demanded an explanation while he was thus
agitated, he would have engaged himself to her wish by such ties as
he could not break with any regard to his reputation. But from such
expostulation she was deterred, partly by pride, and partly by the
dread of finding herself mistaken in such an interesting conjecture.
She therefore enjoyed the present flattering appearance of her fate, was
prevailed upon to accept the jewels which he purchased with part of his
winning at Bath, and, with the most enchanting condescension, submitted
to a warm embrace when he took his leave, after having obtained
permission to visit her as often as his inclination and convenience
would permit.
In his return to his own lodgings, he was buoyed up with his success to
an extravagance of hope, already congratulated himself upon his triumph
over Emilia's virtue, and began to project future conquests among the
most dignified characters of the female sex. But his attention was not
at all dissipated by these vain reflections; he resolved to concentrate
the whole exertion of his soul upon the execution of his present plan,
desisted, in the meantime, from all other schemes of pleasure, interest,
and ambition, and took lodgings in the city, for the more commodious
accomplishment of his purpose. While our lover's imagination was thus
agreeably regaled, his mistress did not enjoy her expectations without
the intervention of doubts and anxiety. His silence, touching the
final aim of his addresses, was a mystery on which she was afraid of
exercising her sagacity; and her uncle tormented her with inquiries into
the circumstances of Peregrine's professions and deportment. Rather than
give this relation the least cause for suspicion, which must have cut
off all intercourse betwixt her and her admirer, she said everything
which she thought would satisfy his care and concern for her welfare;
and, in consequence of such representation, she enjoyed, without
reserve, the company of our adventurer, who prosecuted his plan with
surprising eagerness and perseverance.