She stayed with them a considerable time, and entertained them with
little else than railing on Edella; and to make her appear as odious and
contemptible as she could to Horatio, insinuated that it was for the
sake of a young needy favourite she had been obliged to withdraw the
allowance they had from her.
On taking leave she found means to slip a little billet into Horatio's
hands, unperceived by any of the company, which, as soon as he had a
convenient opportunity, he opened, and found these words in French:
_To the agreeable_ HORATIO.
SIR,
"Tho' I have not perhaps so much beauty
as Edella, I have twice her sincerity, and
not many years older: such as I am, however,
I fancy you will think a correspondence with
me of too much advantage to be refused:--if
you will counterfeit an indisposition, to-morrow
I will out of excessive charity visit you, and
bring you a refreshment, I flatter myself, will
not be disagreeable to a man in your circumstances:--farewell;--be
secret,--and love as well as you can,
_Yours_,
MATTAKESA."
Of all the accidents that had befallen Horatio since his leaving
England, none ever so much surprized him as the prodigious impudence of
this lady: he had heard talk of such adventures, but never till now
believed there could be any such thing in nature, as a woman that
offered herself in this manner, without the least sollicitation from the
person on whom she wished to lavish what ought only to be the reward of
an approved, or at least a shew of the most violent passion.
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