It is also to be observed, that the messenger of her letters to her
father, who so often pretended business that way, was an implement in his
master's hands, and employed by him for that purpose; and always gave her
letters first to him, and his master used to open and read them, and then
send them on; by which means, as he hints to her, (as she observes in her
letter XXX) he was no stranger to what she wrote. Thus every way was the
poor virgin beset: And the whole will shew the base arts of designing men
to gain their wicked ends; and how much it behoves the fair sex to stand
upon their guard against artful contrivances, especially when riches and
power conspire against innocence and a low estate.
A few words more will be necessary to make the sequel better understood.
The intriguing gentleman thought fit, however, to keep back from her
father her three last letters; in which she mentions his concealing
himself to hear her partitioning out her clothes, his last effort to
induce her to stay a fortnight, his pretended proposal of the chaplain,
and her hopes of speedily seeing them, as also her verses; and to send
himself a letter to her father, which is as follows:
'GOODMAN ANDREWS,
'You will wonder to receive a letter from me.
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