Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

the honour of feeing her. The civility with which he uttered this, added to the great comelinefs of his perfon, made an impreffion on the waiting-woman, and fhe could not help anfwering, Perhaps, Sir, you may:' and, indeed, the afterwards faid every thing to her mistress which the thought moft likely to prevail on her to admit a vifit from the handfome young gentleman; for so she called him.

Jones very fhrewdly fufpected, that Sophia herself was now with her coufin, and was denied to him; which he imputed to her refentment of what had happened at Upton. Having, therefore, difpatched Partridge to procure him lodgings, he remained all day in the ftreet, watching the door where he thought his angel lay concealed; but no perfon did he fee iffue forth, except a fervant of the house, and in the evening he returned to pay his vift to Mrs Fitzpatrick, which that good lady at laft condefcended to admit.

There is a certain air of natural gentility, which it is neither in the power of drefs to give, nor to conceal. Mr Jones, as hath been before hinted, was poffeffed of this in a very eminent degree. He met, therefore, with a reception from the lady fomewhat different from what his apparel feemed to demand; and, after he had paid her his proper refpects, was defired to fit down.

The reader will not, I believe, be defirous of knowing all the particulars of this converfation, which ended very little to the fatisfaction of poor Jones. For though Mrs Fitzpatrick foon difcovered the lover, (as all women have the eyes of hawks in thofe matters), yet fhe ftill thought it was fuch a lover, as a generous friend of the lady thould not betray her to. In fhort, the fufpected this was the very Mr Blifil, from whom Sophia had flown; and all the answers which the artfully drew from Jones, concerning Mr Allworthy's family, confirmed her in this opinion. She therefore ftrictly denied any knowledge concerning the place whither Sophia was gone; nor could. Jones obtain more than a permiffion to wait on her again the next evening.

When Jones was departed, Mrs Fitzpatrick communicated her fufpicion concerning Mr Blifil, to her maid; who anfwered, Sure, Madam, he is too pretty a man,

in my opinion, for any woman in the world to rum a" way from. I had rather fancy it is Mr Jones.'' Mr Jones' faid the lady; what Jones?' For Sophia had not given the leaft hint of any fuch perfon in all their converfation; but Mrs Honour had been much more communicative, and had acquainted her. fifter Abigail with the whole history of Jones, which this now again related to her miftrefs.

:

[ocr errors]

Mrs Fitzpatrick no fooner received this information, than fhe immediately agreed with the opinion of her maid; and, what is very unaccountable, faw charms in the gallant, happy lover, which fhe had overlooked in the flighted fquire. Betty,' fays fhe, you are certainly in the right he is a very pretty fellow, and I don't wonder that my coufin's maid fhould tell you fo many women are fond of him. I am forry now I did not inform him where my coufin was: and yet, if he be fo terrible a rake as you tell me, it is a pity fhe fhould ever fee him any more; for what but her ruin can happen from marring a rake and a beggar against her father's confent. I proteft, if he be fuch a man as the wench defcribed him to you, it is but an office of charity to keep her from • him; and, I am fure, it would be unpardonable in me to do otherwise, who have tafted fo bitterly of the mif⚫ fortunes attending fuch marriages.'

[ocr errors]

Here he was interrupted by the arrival of a vifitor, which was no other than his lordfhip; and as nothing paffed at this vifit either new or extraordinary, or any wife material to this hiftory, we fhall here put an end to this chapter

CHA P. III.

A project of Mrs Fitzpatrick, and her vifit to lady Bella

W

Ston.

HEN Mrs Fitzpatrick retired to reft, her thoughts were entirely taken up by her coufin Sophia and Mr Jones. She was, indeed, a little offended with the former, for the difingenuity which the now dif covered. In which meditation fhe had not long exerci fed her imagination, before the following conceit fuggefted itfelf; that could fhe poffibly become the means of pre

ferving Sophia from this man, and of reftoring her to her father, fhe fhould in all human probability, by fo great a fervice to the family, reconcile herself both to her uncle and her aunt Western.

As this was one of her moft favourite wishes, fo the hope of fuccefs feemed fo reafonable, that nothing re mained but to confider of proper methods to accomplish ber fcheme. To attempt to reafon the cafe with Sophia, did not appear to her one of thofe methods; for as Betty had reported from Mrs Honour, that Sophia had a violent inclination to Jones, the conceived, that to diffuade her from the match, was an endeavour of the fame kind, as it would be very heartily and earnestly to intreat a moth not to fly into a candle.

If the reader will pleafe to remember, that the acquaintance which Sophia had with Lady Ballafton was contracted at the houfe of Mrs Western, and must have grown at the very time when Mrs Fitzpatrick lived with this latter lady, he will want no information, that Mrs Fitzpatrick must have been acquainted with her likewife. They were, befides, both equally her diftant relations

After much confideration, therefore, the refolved to go early in the morning to that lady and endeavour to fee her unknown to Sophia, and to acquaint her with the whole affair. For he did not in the leaft doubt, but that this prudent lady, who had often ridiculed romantic love, and indifcreet marriages, in her converfation, would very readily concur in her fentiments concerning this match, and would lend her utmost affiftance to prevent it.

This refolution fhe accordingly executed; and the next morning, before the fun, fhe huddled on her cloaths, and at a very unfafhionable, unfeasonable, unvifitable hour, went to Lady Bellafton, to whom he got accefs, without the least knowledge or fufpicion of Sophia, who, though not afleep, lay at that time awake in her bed, with Honour fnoring by her fide.

Mrs Fitzpatrick made many apologies for an early, abrupt vifit, at an hour when, fhe faid, the fhould not have thought of difturbing her lady fhip, but upon bufinefs of the utmost confequence. She then opened the whole affair, told all the had heard from Betty; and did not

forget the vifit which Jones had paid to herfelf the preceding evening.

[ocr errors]

Lady Bellafton answered with a fmile, Then you have feen this terrible man, Madam: pray, is he fo very fine a figure as he is reprefented? for Etoff entertained me laft night almoft two hours with him. The wench, I I believe it in love with him by reputation.' Here the reader will be apt to wonder; but the truth is that Mrs Etoff, who had the honour to pin and unpin the Lady Bellafton, had received complete information concerning the faid Mr Jones, and had faithfully conveyed the same to her lady last night (or rather that morning) while fhe was undreffing; on which accounts fhe had been detained in her office above the space of an hour and an half.

The lady indeed, though generally well enough pleafed with the narratives of Mrs Etoff at those seasons, gave an extraordinary attention to her account of Jones; for Honour had described him as a very handfome fellow, and Mrs Etoff in her hurry added so much to the beauty of his perfon to her report, that Lady Bellafton began to conceive him to be a kind of miracle in nature.

The curiofity which her woman had infpired, was now greatly increased by Mrs Fitzpatrick, who fpoke as much in favour of the perfon of Jones, as she had before spoken in difpraise of his birth, character, and fortune.

4

When Lady Bellafton had heard the whole, fhe answered gravely, Indeed, Madam, this is a matter of great confequence. Nothing can certainly be more commendable than the part you act; and I fhall be very glad to have my fhare in the prefervation of a young lady of fo much merit, and for whom I have fo much efteem.' Doth not your Ladyship think,' fays Mrs Fitzpatrick eagerly, that it would be the best way to write imme diately to my uncle, and acquaint him where my coufin

• is ?"

The lady pondered a little upon this, and thus anfwered,- -Why, no, Madam, I think not. Di Western hath defcribed her brother to me to be fuch a brute, that I cannot confent to put any woman under his power • who have escaped from it, I have heard he behaved like a monster to his own wife; for he is one of thofe wretch

es who think they have a right to tyrannize over us, and • from fuch I fhall ever esteem it the cause of my fex to refcue any woman who is fo unfortunate to be under their power. The bufinefs, dear coufin, will be only to keep • Mifs Western from feeing this young fellow, till the good campany, which fhe will have an opportunity of meeting • here, give her a proper turn.'

[ocr errors]

If he fhould find her out, Madam,' answered the other, 'your Lady ship may be assured he will leave nothing unattempted to come at her.'

<

But, Madam,' replied the lady, it is impoffible he fhould come here--though indeed it is poffible he may get fome inteligence where he is, and then may lurk about the house-I wish therefore I knew his perfon.'

Is there no way, Madam, by which 1 could have a fight of him? for otherwife you know, coufin, fhe may contrive to fee him here without my knowledge.' Mrs Fitzpatrick answered, that he had threatened her with another visit that afternoon, and that if her ladyship pleased to do her the honour of calling upon her then, he would hardly fail of feeing him between fix and feven: and if he came earlier, the hould by fome means or other, detain him till her lady fhips arrival-Lady Bellafton replied, She would come the moment she could get from dinner, which the fuppofed would be by seven at fartheft; for that it was abfolutely neceffary he fhould be acquainted with his perfon. Upon my word, Madam,' fays fhe, it was very good to take this care of Mifs Weftern; but common humanity, as well as regard to our family, require it of us both; for it would be a dreadful match indeed." Mrs Fitzpatrick failed not to make a proper return to the compliment which Lady Bellafton had beftowed on her coufin, and, after fome little immaterial converfation, withdrew; and getting as faft as fhe could into her chair, unfeen by Sophia or Honour, returned home.

[ocr errors]

CHA P. IV.

Which confifts of vifiting.

R Jones had walked within fight of a certain door

M during the whole day, which, though one of the

« AnteriorContinuar »