Acceptance.These Words, and, above all, the Money, which was a Sum which, ’tis probable, they had not seen of a long Time, made them immediately assent to all she desir’d, and press for the Beginning of their Employment: But Things were not yet ripe for Execution; and she told them, that the next Day they should be let into the Secret, charging them to meet her in the same Place at an Hour she appointed. ’Tis hard to say, which of these Parties went away best pleas’d; they, that Fortune had sent them so unexpected a Windfall; or she, that she had found Persons, who appeared so well qualified to serve her.
Indefatigable in the Pursuit of whatsoever her Humour was bent upon, she had no sooner left her new-engag’d Emissaries, than she went in search of a House for the compleating her Project.—She pitch’d on one very large, and magnificently furnished, which she hir’d by the Week, giving them the Money before-hand, to prevent any Inquiries.The next Day she repaired to the Park, where she met the punctual ’Squires of low Degree; and ordering them to follow her to the House she had taken, told them they must condescend to appear like Servants, and gave each of them a very rich Livery.1 Then writing a Letter to Beauplaisir, in a Character vastly different from either of those she had made use of, as Fantomina, or the fair Widow Bloomer,order’d one of them to deliver it into his own Hands, to bring back an Answer, and to be careful that he sifted out nothing of the Truth.—I do not fear, (said she,) that you should discover to him who I am, because that is a Secret, of which you yourselves are ignorant; but I would have you be so careful in your Replies, that he may not think the Concealment springs from any other Reasons than your great Integrity to your Trust.—Seem therefore to know my whole Affairs; and let your refusing to make him Partaker in the Secret, appear to be only the Effect of your Zeal for my Interest and Reputation. Promises of entire Fidelity on the one side, and Reward on the other, being past, the Messenger made what haste he could to the House of Beauplaisir; and being there told where he might find him, perform’d exactly the Injunction that had been given him. But never Astonishment exceeding that which Beauplaisir felt at the reading this Billet, in which he found these Lines:
To the All-conquering Beauplaisir.
I IMAGINE not that ’tis a new Thing to you, to be told, you are the greatest Charm in Nature to our Sex: I shall therefore, not to fill up my Letter with any impertinent Praises on your Wit or Person, only tell you, that I am infinite in Love with both, and if you have a Heart not too deeply engag’d, should think myself the happiest of my Sex in being capable of inspiring it with some Tenderness.—There is but one Thing in my Power to refuse you, which is the Knowledge of my Name, which believing the Sight of my Face will render no Secret, you must not take it ill that I conceal from you.—The Bearer of this is a Person I can trust; send by him your Answer; but endeavour not to dive into the Meaning of this Mystery, which will be impossible for you to unravel, and at the same Time very much disoblige me:—But that you may be in no Apprehensions of being impos’d on by a Woman unworthy of your Regard, I will venture to assure you, the first and greatest Men in the Kingdom, would think themselves blest to have that Influence over me you have, though unknown to yourself acquii d.—But I need not go about to raise your Curiosity, by giving you any Idea of what my Person is; if you think fit to be satisfied, resolve to visit me To-morrow about Three in the Afternoon; and though my Face is hid, you shall not want sufficient Demonstration, that she who takes these unusual Measures to commence a Friendship with you, is neither Old, nor Deform’d.Till then I am,
Yours,
Incognita.
HE had scarce come to the Conclusion, before he ask’d the Person who brought it, from what Place he came;—the Name of the Lady he serv’d;—ifshe were a Wife, orWidow,and several other Questions directly opposite to the Directions of the Letter; but Silence would have avail’d him as much as did all those Testimonies of Curiosity: No Italian Bravo, employ’d in a Business of the like Nature, perform’d his Office with more Artifice; and the impatient Enquirer was convinc’d, that nothing but doing as he was desir’d, could give him any Light into the Character of the Woman who declar’d so violent a Passion for him; and little fearing any Consequence which could ensue from such an Encounter, resolv’d to rest satisfy’d till he was inform’d of every Thing from herself, not imagining this Incognita varied so much from the Generality of her Sex, as to be able to refuse the Knowledge of any Thing to the Man she lov’d with that Transcendency of Passion she profess’d, and which his many Successes with the Ladies gave him Encouragement enough to believe. He therefore took Pen and Paper, and answer’d her Letter in Terms tender enough for a Man who had never seen the Person to whom he wrote.The Words were as follows:
To the Obliging and Witty Incognita.
THOUGH to tell me I am happy enough to be lik’d by a Woman, such, as by your Manner of Writing, I imagine you to be, is an Honour which I can never sufficiently acknowledge, yet I know not how I am able to content myself with admiring the Wonders of your Wit alone: I am certain, a Soul like yours must shine in your Eyes with a Vivacity, which must bless all they look on.—I shall, however, endeavour to restrain myself in those Bounds you are pleas’d to set me, till by the Knowledge of my inviolable Fidelity, I may be thought