Book X. grew frantic in a Moment, and he eagerly cried out, Oh Heavens, how came this Muff here!' I know no more than your Honour,' cried Partridge; but I faw it upon the Arm of one of the Women who would have disturbed you, if I would have fuffered them.' Where are they cries Jones, jumping out of Bed, and laying hold of his Clothes. "Many Miles off,

I believe, by this Time,' faid Partridge. And now Jones, upon further Enquiry, was fufficiently affured that the Bearer of this Muff was no other than the lovely Sophia herself.

The Behaviour of Jones on this Occafion, his Thoughts, his Looks, his Words, his Actions, were fuch as beggar all Defcription. After many bitter Execrations on Partridge, and not fewer on himself,' he ordered the poor Fellow, who was frightened out of his Wits, to run down and hire him Horses at any Rate; and a very few Minutes afterwards, having fhuffled on his Clothes, he haftened down Stairs to execute the Orders himfelf, which he had juft before given..

But before we proceed to what paffed on his Arrival in the Kitchin, it will be neceffary to recur to what had there happened fince Partridge had firft left it on his Mafter's Summons.

The Serjeant was juft marched off with his Party, when the two Irish Gentlemen arofe, and came down Stairs; both complaining, that they had been fo often waked by the Noifes in the Inn, that they had never once been able to close their Eyes all Night.

The Coach, which had brought the young Lady and her Maid, and which, perhaps, the Reader may have hitherto concluded was her own, was indeed a returned Coach belonging to

༔

Mr.

Mr. King of Bath, one of the worthieft and honestest Men that ever dealt in Horse-flesh, and whofe Coaches we heartily recommend to all our Readers who travel that Road. By which Means they may, perhaps, have the Pleasure of riding in the very Coach, and being driven by the very Coachman, that is recorded in this Hiftory.

The Coachman having but two Paffengers, and hearing Mr. Maclachlan was going to Bath, offered to carry him thither at a very moderate Price. He was induced to this by the Report of the Hoftler, who faid, that the Horfe which Mr. Maclachlan had hired from Worcester, would be much more pleased with returning to his Friends there, than to profecute a long Journey; for that the faid Horfe was rather a two-legged than a four-legged Animal.

Mr. Maclachlan immediately closed with the Propofal of the Coachman, and, at the fame Time, perfuaded his Friend Fitzpatrick to accept of the fourth Place in the Coach. This Conveyance the Soreness of his Bones made more agreeable to him than a Horfe; and being well affured of meeting with his Wife at Bath, he thought a little Delay would be of no Confequence.

Macklachlan, who was much the sharper Man .of the two, no fooner heard that this Lady came from Chefter, with the other Circumftances which he learned from the Hoftler, than it came into his Head that the might poffibly be his Friend's Wife; and prefently acquainted him with this Sufpicion, which had never once occurred to Fitzpatrick himself. To say the Truth, he was one of thofe Compofitions which Nature

C 6

makes

Book X. makes up in too great a Hurry, and forgets to put any Brains into their Head.

Now it happens to this Sort of Men, as to bad Hounds, who never hit off a Fault themselves; but no fooner doth a Dog of Sagacity open his Mouth, than they immediately do the fame, and without the Guidance of any Scent, run directly forwards as faft as they are able. In the fame Manner, the very Moment Mr. Maclachlan had: mentioned his Apprehenfion, Mr. Fitzpatrick inftantly concurred, and flew directly up Stairs to furprize his Wife before he knew where fhe was; and unluckily (as Fortune loves to play Tricks with thofe Gentlemen who put themselves entirely under her Conduct) ran his Head against several Doors and Pofts to no Purpose. Much kinder was fhe to me, when the fuggefted that Simile of the Hounds, juft before inferted; fince the poor Wife may, on thefe Occafions, be fo justly compared to a hunted Hare. Like that little wretched Animal the pricks up her Ears to liften after the Voice of her Purfuer; like her, flies away trembling when the hears it; and like her, is generally overtaken and destroyed in the End.

This was not however the Cafe at prefent; for after a long fruitlefs Search, Mr. Fitzpatrick re turned to the Kitchin, where, as if this had been a real Chace, entered a Gentleman hallowing as Hunters do when the Hounds are at a Fault. He was juft alighted from his Horfe, and had many Attendants at his Heels.

Here, Reader, it may be neceffary to acquaint thee with fome Matters, which, if thou doft know already, thou art wifer than I take thee to be. And this Information thou shalt receive in the next Chapter.

CHAP.

CHAP. VII.

In which are concluded the Adventures that hap100 pened at the Inn at Upton.

IN

N the firft Place then, this Gentleman juft arrived was no other Perfon than Squire Western himfelf, who was come hither in Purfuit of his Daughter; and had he fortunately been two Hours earlier, he had found not only her, but his Niece into the Bargain; for fuch was the Wife of Mr. Fitzpatrick, who had run away with her five" Years before, out of the Cuftody of that fage Lady Madam Western.

Now this Lady had departed from the Inn much about the fame Time with Sophia: For having been waked by the Voice of her Hufband, fhe had fent up for the Landlady, and being by' her apprized of the Matter, had bribed the good Woman, at an extravagant Price, to furnish her with Horses for her Escape. Such Prevalence had Money in this Family; and tho' the Miftrefs would have turned away her Maid for a corrupt Huffy, if the had known as much as the Reader, yet he was no more Proof against Corruption herfelf than poor Sufan had been.

Mr. Western and his Nephew were not known to one another; nor indeed would the former" have taken any Notice of the latter, if he had known him; for this being a ftolen Match, and confequently an unnatural one in the Opinion of the good Squire, he had, from the Time of her' committing it, abandoned the poor young Crea-" ture, who was then no more than Eighteen, as Monster,

3

s a

Monster, and had never since suffered her to be named in his Prefence.

The Kitchin was now a Scene of universal Confufion, Western enquiring after his Daughter, and Fitzpatrick as eagerly after his Wife, when Jones entered the Room, unfortunately having Sophia's Muff in his Hand..

As foon as Western faw Jones, he fet up the fame Holla as is ufed by Sportfinen when their Game is in View. He then immediately run up and laid hold of Jones, crying, We have got the Dog Fox," I warrant the Bitch is not far off.' The Jargon which followed for fome Minutes, where many spoke different Things at the fame Time, as it would be very difficult to describe, fo would it be no lefs unpleasant to read.

Jones having, at length, fhaken Mr. Weftern off, and fome of the Company having interfered between them, our Heroe protefted his Innocence as to knowing any thing of the Lady; when Par-: fon Supple stepped up, and faid, It is Folly to < deny it; for why, the Marks of Guilt are in thy Hands. I will myfelf affeverate and bindi it by an Oath, that the Muff thou beareft in thy Hand belongeth unto Madam Sophia; for L. have frequently obferved her, of later Days, to bear it about her.' My Daughter's Muff!", cries the Squire, in a Rage. Hath he got my • Daughter's Muff! Bear Witnefs the Goods are

6

found upon him. I'll have him before a Juftice ⚫ of Peace this Inftant. Where is my Daughter, • Villain?" • Sir,' faid Jones, I beg you would ⚫ be pacified. The Muff, I acknowledge, is the young Lady's; but, upon my Honour, I have · never seen her. At thefe Words Western loft all Patience, and grew inarticulate with Rage.

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