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259 you go. He accompanied thefe Words with fome proper Actions; upon which the Lady, after a gentle Rebuke, and faying their Familiarity would be obferved, told him, She was going to fup with an Acquaintance, whither the hoped he would not follow her; for if you should,' faid fhe, I fhall be thought an unaccountable Creature, though my Friend indeed is not cenforious, yet I hope you won't follow me: I proteft I fhall not know what to say, if you • do.'

The Lady presently after quitted the Mafquerade, and Jones, notwithstanding the fevere Probibition he had received, prefumed to attend her. He was now reduced to the fame Dilemma we have mentioned before, namely, the Want of a Shilling, and could not relieve it by borrowing as before. He therefore walked boldly on after the Chair in which his Lady rode, pursued by a grand Huzza, from all the Chairmen prefent, whe wifely take the best Care they can to discountenance all walking afoot by their Betters. Luckily however the Gentry who attend at the OperaHouse were too bufy to quit their Stations, and as the Lateness of the Hour prevented him from meeting many of their Brethren in the Street, he proceeded without Moleftation, in a Dress, which, at another Seafon, would have certainly raised a Mob at his Heels.

The Lady was fet down in a Street, not far from Hanaver-Square, where the Door being prefently opened, fhe was carried in, and the Gentleman, without any Ceremony, walked in after her.

Jones and his Companion were now together in a very well-furnished and well-warm'd Room,

when

when the Female ftill fpeaking in her Masquerade Voice, faid, the was furprized at her Friend, who must abfolutely have forgot her Appointment; at which after venting much Refentment, fhe fuddenly expreft fome Apprehenfion from Jones, and asked him what the World would think of their having been alone together in a House at that Time of Night? But instead of a direct Answer to fo important a Question, Jones began to be very importunate with the Lady to unmark, and at length having prevailed, there appeared not Mrs. Fitzpatrick, but the Lady Bellafton herself.

A

It would be tedious to give the particular Converfation, which confifted of very common and ordinary Occurrences, and which lafted from two till fix o Clock in the Morning. It is fufficient to mention all of it that is any wife material to this Hiftory. And this was a Promise that the Lady would endeavour to find out Sophia, and in a few Days bring him to an Interview with her, on Condition that he would then take his Leave of her. When this was thoroughly fettled, and a fecond Meeting in the Evening appointed at the famé Place, they feparated; the Lady returned to her Houfe, and Jones to his Lodgings,

CHA P. VIII.

Containing a Scene of Diftrefs, which will appear very extraordinary to most of our Readers.

JONE

ONES having refreshed himself with a few Hours Sleep, fummoned Partridge to his Prefence; and delivering him a Bank Note of fifty Pounds, ordered him to go and change it.

Par

Partridge received this with fparkling Eyes, though when he came to reflect farther, it raised in him fome Sufpicions not very advantageous to the Honour of his Mafter; to thefe the dreadful Idea he had of the Masquerade, the Disguise in which his Mafter had gone out and returned, and his having been abroad all Night, contributed. In plain Language, the only Way he could poffibly find to account for the Poffeffion of this Note, was by Robbery; and, to confefs the Truth, the Reader, unless he should suspect it was owing to the Generofity of Lady Bellafton, can hardly imagine any other.

To clear therefore the Honour of Mr. Jones, and to do Juftice to the Liberality of the Lady, he had really received this Prefent from her,* who, though fhe did not give much into the Hackney Charities of the Age, fuch as building Hofpitals, &c. was not, however, entirely void' of that Chriftian Virtue; and conceived (very rightly I think) that a young Fellow of Merit,' without a Shilling in the World, was no impro-' per Object of this Virtue.

1

Mr. Jones and Mr. Nightingale had been invited to dine this Day with Mrs. Miller. At the appointed Hour therefore the two young Gentlemen, with the two Girls, attended in the Parlour, where they waited from Three till almost Five before the good Woman appeared. She had been out of Town to vifit a Relation, of whom, at her Return, the gave the following Account.

I hope, Gentlemen, you will pardon my making you wait; I am fure if you knew the Occafion.-I have been to fee a Coufin of mine, about fix Miles off, who now lies in.— It fhould be a Warning to all Perfons (fays fhe,

look

looking at her Daughters) how they marry in⚫ difcreetly. 6 There is no Happinefs in this < World, without a Competency. O Nancy! how fhall I defcribe the wretched Condition in which I found your poor Coufin; fhe hath fcarce lain in a Week, and there was fhe, this dreadful Weather, in a cold Room, without · any Curtains to her Bed, and not a Bufhel of • Coals in her Houfe to fupply her with Fire: Her fecond Son, that fweet little Fellow, lies ill of a Quinzy in the fame Bed with his Mother; for there is no other Bed in the House. • Poor little Tommy! I believe, Nancy, you will never fee your Favourite any more; for he is really very ill. The reft of the Children are in pretty good Health; but Molly, I am afraid, will do herself an Injury: She is but thirteen Years old, Mr. Nightingale, and yet, in my Life, I never faw a better Nurfe: She tends both her Mother and her Brother; and what is wonderful in a Creature so young, the shows all the Chearfulnefs in the World to her Mother; and yet I faw her-I faw the poor Child, Mr. Nightingale, turn about, and privately wipe the Tears from her Eyes.' Here Mrs. Miller was prevented, by her own Tears, from going on, and there was not, I believe, a Perfon prefent, who did not accompany her in them; at length fhe a little recovered herfelf, and proceeded thus: In all this Distress the Mother fupports her Spirits in a furprizing Manner. The • Danger of her Son fits heaviest upon her, and 6 yet the endeavours as much as poffible to con•ceal even this Concern, on her Hufband's Aċ'count. Her Grief, however, fometimes gets • the better of all her Endeavours; for fhe was

6

al

6

always extravagantly fond of this Boy, and a moft fenfible, fweet-tempered Creature it is. I proteft I was never more affected in my Life, than when I heard the little Wretch, who is hardly yet feven Years old, while his Mother · was wetting him with her Tears, beg her to be comforted.--Indeed, Mamma, cry'd the Child, I fhan't die; God Almighty, I'm fure, won't take Tommy away; let Heaven be ever fo fine a Place, I had rather stay here and ftarve with you and my Papa, than go to it.-Pardon me, Gentlemen, I can't help it," (fays fhe, wiping her Eyes) fuch Senfibility and Affection in a Child And yet, perhaps, he is leat the Object of Pity; for a Day or two will, most probably, place him beyond the Reach of all human Evils. The Father is indeed moft worthy of Compaffion. Poor Man, ⚫ his Countenance is the very Picture of Horror, and he looks rather like one dead than alive. • Oh Heavens! what a Scene did I behold at my first coming into the Room! The good Creature was lying behind the Bolfter, fupporting at once both his Child and his Wife. He had nothing on but a thin Waistcoat; for his Coat was fpread over the Bed, to fupply the Want of Blankets.When he rose up, at my Entrance, I scarce knew him. As comely a Man, Mr. Jones, within this Fortnight, as you ever beheld; Mr. Nightingale hath feen him. His Eyes funk, his Face pale, with a long Beard. His Body fhivering with Cold, and worn with Hunger too; for my Coufin fays, fhe can hardly prevail upon him to eat.

He told me himself in a Whisper-he told me-I can't repeat it-he faid, he could not

• bear