place of affignation, where he had engaged herself before he was well rapped of the revolution that had happened in the mind and morals of her late confidante.

CHAP. X.

A chapter, which, though fhort, may draw tears from

R.

Ma

fome eyes.

Jones was juft dressed to wait on lady Bellafton, when Mrs. Miller rapped at his door; and being admitted, very earnestly defired his company below stairs to drink tea in the parlour.

6

Upon his entrance into the room, fhe prefently introduced a perfon to him, faying, This, Sir, is my coufin, who hath been fo greatly beholden to your. goodness, for which he begs to return you his fincereft thanks."

The man had scarce entered upon that fpeech, which Mrs. Miller had fo kindly prefaced, when both Jones and he looking ftedfaftly at each other, fhewed at once the utmoft tokens of furprize. The voice of the latter began inftantly to faulter; and, instead of finishing his fpeech, he funk down into a chair, crying, It is fo, I am convinced it is fo!'

Blefs me, what's the meaning of this,' cries Mrs. Miller, you are not ill, I hope, coufin? Some water, a dram this inftant.'

Be not frighted, Madam,' cries Jones, I have almost as much need of a dram as your coufin. We are equally furprized at this unexpected meeting. Your coufin is an acquaintance of mine, Mrs. Miller.'

An acquaintance!' cries the man.

• ven !'

Oh hea

Ay, an acquaintance,' repeated Jones, and an honoured acquaintance too. When I do not love and honour the man who dares venture every thing to preferve his wife and children from inftant deftruction, may I have a friend capable of difowning me in adverfity.'

VOL VIII.

O you are an excellent young man,' cries Mrs. Miller,- · -- yes, indeed, poor creature! he hath ventured every thing; if he had not had one of the best of conftitutions, it must have killed him.'

◄ Coufin,' cries the man, who had now pretty ⚫ well recovered himself; this is the angel from heaven whom I meant. This is he to whom, before I faw you, I owed the prefervation of my Peggy. He it was to whofe generofity every comfort, every fupport which I have procured for her was owing. He is indeed the worthieft, braveft, nobleft of all human beings. O coufin, I have obligations to this gentleman of fuch a nature!'

Mention nothing of obligations,' cries Jones eagerly, not a word, I infift upon it, not a word, (meaning, I fuppofe, that he would not have him betray the affair of the robbery to any perfon)- If by the trifle you have received from me, I have pre⚫ferved a whole family, fure pleasure was never bought <fo cheap.'

O, Sir,' cries the man, I wish you could this inftant fee my houfe. If any perfon had ever a right to the pleasure you mention, I am convinced it is yourself. My coufin tells me, fhe acquainted you with the diftrefs in which fhe found us. That, Sir, is all greatly removed, and chiefly by your goodnefs.- My children have now a bed to lie and they have they have. eternal bleffings reward you for it--they have bread to eat. My little boy is recovered; my wife is out of danger, and I am happy. All, all owing

on,

you, Sir, and to my coufin here, one of the best of women. Indeed, Sir, I muft fee you at my houfe. Indeed my wife muft fee you, and thank you. My children too muft exprefs their gratitude.

Indeed, Sir, they are not without a fenfe of ⚫ their obligation; but what is my feeling when I reflect to whom I owe, that they are now capable of expreffing their gratitude.O, Sir! the little hearts which you have warmed had now been cold* as ice without your affiftance."

Here

Here Jones attempted to prevent the poor man from proceeding; but indeed the over-flowing of his own heart would of itfelf have ftopped his words. And now Mrs. Miller likewife began to pour forth thanksgivings, as well in her own name as in that of her coufin, and concluded with faying, ' fhe doubted not but fuch goodness would meet a glorious reward.'

Jones anfwered, He had been fufficiently rewardedalready. Your coufin's account, Madam,' faid he, hath given me a fenfation more pleafing than I have ever known. He must be a wretch who is unmoved at hearing fuch a ftory; how tranfporting then must be the thought of having happily acted a part in this fcene! If there are men who cannot feel the delight of giving happiness to others, I fincerely pity them, as they are incapable of tasting what is, in my opinion, a greater honour, a higher intereft, and a fweeter pleasure than the ambitious, the avaritious, or the voluptuous man can ever obtain.'

The hour of appointment being now come, Jones was forced to take a hafty leave, but not before he had heartily fhaken his friend by the hand, and defired to fee him again as foon as poffible; promifing that he would himself take the firft opportunity of vifiting him at his own houfe. He then stept into his chair, and proceeded to lady Bellafton's, greatly exulting in the happiness which he had procured to this poor family; nor could he forbear reflecting without horror on the dreadful confequences which must have attended them, had he liftened rather to the voice of ftri&t juf tice than to that of mercy, when he was attacked on the high road.

Mrs. Miller fung forth the praifes of Jones during the whole evening, in which Mr. Anderfon, while he ftayed, fo paffionately accompanied her, that he was often on the very point of mentioning the circumftances of the robbery. However, he luckily recollected himfelf, and avoided an indifcretion which would have been fo much the greater, as he knew Mrs. Miller to be extremely ftrict and nice in her principles. He was likewife well apprized of the loquacity of this lady

Q 2

and

Book XIII. and yet fuch was his gratitude, that it had almost got the better both of difcretion and shame, and made him publish that which would have defamed his own character, rather than omit any circumftances which might do the fulleft honour to his benefactor.

MR

CHAP. XI.

In which the reader will be furprized.

R. Jones was rather earlier than the time appointed, and earlier than the lady, whofe arrival was hindered not only by the distance of the place where the dined, but by fome other crofs accidents, very vexatious to one in her fituation of mind. He was accordingly fhewn into the drawing-. room, where he had not been many minutes before the door opened, and in came -no other than Sophia herfelf, who had left the play before the end of the firft act; for this, as we have already faid, being a new play, at which two large parties met, the one to damn, and the other to applaud, a violent uproar, and an engagement between the two parties, had fo terrified our heroine, that he was glad to put herfelf under the protection of a young gentleman, who fafely conveyed her to her chair.

As lady Bellafton had acquainted her that the should not be at home till late, Sophia, expecting to find no one in the room, come haftily in, and went directly to a glafs which almoft fronted her, without once looking towards the upper end of the room, where the ftatue of Jones now flood motionlefs.——————————— -In this glafs it was, after contemplating her own lovely face, that she firft difcovered the faid ftatue; when inftantly turning about, the perceived the reality of the vifion; upon which the gave a violent fcream, and scarce preferved herself from fainting, till Jones was able to move to her and fupport her in his arms.

To paint the looks or thoughts of either of thefe lovers is beyond my power. As their fenfations, from their mutual filence, may be judged to have been too big for their own utterance, it cannot be fuppofed that

I

I fhould be able to exprefs them; and the misfortune is, that few of my readers have been enough in love, to feel by their own hearts what paft at this time in theirs.

After a fhort pause, Jones, with faultering accents, faid, I fee, Madam, you are furprized' Surprized!' answered the; Oh heavens! Indeed I am furprized. I almoft doubt whether you are the perfon you feem.' Indeed,' cries he, my Sophia, pardon me, Madam, for this once calling you fo, I am that very wretched Jones, whom fortune, after fo many difappointments, hath, at laft, kindly conducted to you. Oh! my Sophia, did you know the thoufand torments I have fuffered in this long, fruitlefs purfuit. Purfuit of whom?' faid Sophia, a little recollecting herfelf, and affuming a referved air.be fo cruel to afk that question?' cries Jones. Need I fay of you?' Of me!' anfwered Sophia : Hath Mr. Jones then any fuch important bufinefs with me? To fome, madam,' cries Jones, this might feem an important bufinefs,' (giving her the pocket-book.) I hope, madam, you will find it of

. Can you

the fame value as when it was loft.' Sophia took the pocket-book, and was going to fpeak when he interrupted her thus: Let us not, I beseech you, lofe one of thefe precious moments which fortune hath fo kindly fent us.-O my Sophia, I have bufinefs of a much fuperior kind.- -Thus, on my knees,. let me afk your pardon. My pardon,' cries fhe; -Sure, Sir, after what is paft, you cannot expect after what I have heard.' I fcarce know what I fay,' anfwered Jones. By heavens! I scarce with you should pardon me. O my Sophia, henceforth never caft away a thought on fuch a wretch as I am. If any remembrance of me should ever intrude to give a moment's uneafinefs to that tender bofom, think of my unworthinefs; and let the remembrance of what paft at Upton blot me for ever from your

mind.'

Sophia flood trembling all this while. Her face was whiter than fnow, and her heart was throbbing through her fays. But at the mention of Upton, a