The age of this lady did not exceed
twenty-five-, mifs Wingman, who was
her fifter by h^r mother's fide, was fix or
feven years younger, and a, great heircfs ;
both of them had a great deal of wit and
vivacity, but though they faw all the gay
company in town, and conversed freely,
neither of them had been guilty of any
thin^ that could call their condudt in
quqftion, or caft a blemilh on their repu-
tations.
Thefe ladies, to whofe charadters I

(hould alfo have added that of being very

^ agreeable in their perfons, could not fail

<5f attradiing a great iiumber of admirers ;

ind ^ their going -to Bath was no fecret,

■^'■- > '^'- -'^ ^ ; 'thofe

Digitized by LjOOQIC



192 The HISTORY of

thofe who were moft eager to prove the
finccrity of their attachment, thought they
could not do it a better way than by fol-
lowing then).
But there were two who diftinguifh'd
thcmfelves from all the reft of their com-
petitors, by a particular a£t of knight
errantry, thcfe were mr. Lovegrove and
lord Huntly; the one had for Ibme time
made his addrefles to lady Speck, and the
other either was, or pretended to be paf-
fionately devoted to her lifter.
Thefe gentlemen, who were intimate
friends, and the mutual confidants of each
other's paffion, coiKrived a little plot of
love and gallantry between them, the
idea of which gave them as much plea-
furc as they doubted not but their mif-
treffes would receive in the execution of it.
