She was no less
charm'd with his conversation than she had been with his person, and
impatient to know who he was, made an offer of shewing him her face on
condition he would pluck off his mask at the same time: but this he
would by no means agree to, because still hoping to get rid of her, and
have some discourse with mademoiselle Charlotta, he did not think proper
he should be known by any other, who might perhaps make remarks on his
behaviour; and therefore excused himself from complying with her desires
in terms as obliging as the circumstance would admit.
As she had displayed all her talents of wit and eloquence to engage him,
she looked on the little curiosity she had been able to inspire in him
as an affront, and vexed she had thrown away so much time on an
insensible, as she called him, flung hastily away, and joining with some
other company, left him at liberty to pursue his inclinations.
This lady had been a royal mistress, but not having the good fortune to
be made a mother, was not honoured with any title; her being forsaken by
the king, who indeed had few amours of any long continuance, did not in
the least abate the good opinion she had of her beauty; and to fee
herself followed by a train of lovers being the supreme pleasure of her
life, she spared nothing to attract and engage: whenever she failed in
this expectation it was a severe mortification; but her vanity and the
gaity of her humour would not suffer it to prey upon her spirits for
above a minute, and she diverted the shock of a rebuff in one place by
new attempts to conquer in another; therefore it is probable thought no
more of Horatio after she had turned from him.
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