Sentence:  In the evengsic a party of Artists at Millers where I met Davis who brought in a little sketch from nature, very beautiful. Miller asked me as a favour to buy it of him, which I could not refuse him although it puts me in the aucwardsic position of <WSD>patronising</WSD> a man whom I think far too well of to attempt the like with – however it is done. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (Customer) To make oneself a customer of a business, especially a regular customer.