A young fellow we none of us know; a Somersetshire lad juft come to town, one Jones his name is; a near relation of one Mr Allworthy, of whom your Lordfhip, I believe, hath heard. I faw the lad lie dead in a coffeehoufe.- -Upon my foul, he is one of the finest

corpfes I ever faw in my life.'

Sophia, who had juft began to deal as Tom had mentioned that a man was killed, ftopt her hand, and liftened with attention, (for all ftories of that kind affected her); but no fooner had he arrived at the latter part of the ftory, than fhe began to deal again; and having dealt three cards to one, and feven to another, and ten to a third, at laft dropt the reft from her hand, and fell back in her chair.

The company behaved as ufual on thefe occafions. The ufual disturbance enfued, the usual affiftance was fummoned, and Sophia at laft, as it is ufual, returned again to life, and foon after was, at her earnest desire, led to her own apartment; where, at my Lord's request, Lady Bellafton acquainted her with the truth, attempted to carry it off as a jeft of her own, and comforted her with repeated affurances, that neither his Lordship, nor Tom, though he had taught him the ftory, were in the true fecret of the affair.

There was no farther evidence neceffary to convince Lord Fellamar how juftly the cafe had been represented to him by Lady Bellafton: and now, at her return into the room, a fcheme was laid between these two noble perfons, which, though it appeared in no very henious light to his Lordfhip, (as he faithfully promised, and faithfully refolved too, to make the lady all the fubfequent amends in his power by marriage); yet many of our readers, we doubt not, will fee with juft deteftation.

The next evening at feven was appointed for the fatal purpose, when Lady Bellafton undertook that Sophia fhould be alone, and his Lordship should be introduced to her. The whole family were to be regulated for the purpose, most of the fervants dispatched out of the houfe; and for Mrs Honour, who, to prevent fufpicion, was to be left with her mistress till his Lordship's arri val, Lady Bellafton herself was to engage her in an apart

ment as diftant as poffible from the fcene of the intended mifchief, and out of the hearing of Sophia.

Matters being thus agreed on, his Lordship took his leave, and her Ladyfhip retired to reft, highly pleafed with a project, of which fhe had no reafon to doubt the fuccefs, and which promifed fo effectually to remove Sophia from being any future obstruction to her amour with Jones, by means of which fhe fhould never appear to be guilty, even if the fact appeared to the world: but this The made no doubt of preventing, by huddling up a marriage, to which fhe thought the ravifhed Sophia would eafily be brought to confent, and at which all the reft of her family would rejoice.

But affairs were not in fo quiet a fituation in the bofom of the other confpirator: his mind was toft in all the diftracting anxiety fo nobly defcribed by Shakespeare.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing,
And the firft motion, all the interim is
Like a phantafma, or a hideous dream:
The genius and the mortal inftruments
Are then in council; and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, fuffers then
The nature of an infurrection.

Though the violence of his paffion had made him eagerly embrace the firft hint of this defign, especially as it came from a relation of the lady, yet when that friend to recollection, a pillow, had placed the action itself in all its natural black colours before his eyes, with all the confequences which muft, and thofe which might probably attend it, his refolution began to abate, or rather indeed to go over to the other fide; and after a long conflict which lafted a whole night between honour and appetite, the former at length prevailed, and he determined to wait on Lady Bellafton, and to relinquish the defign.

Lady Bellafton was in bed, though very late in the morning, and Sophia fitting by her bed-fide, when the fervant acquainted her that Lord Fellamar was below in the parlour; upon which her Lady ship defired him to ftay, and that she would fee him prefently; but the fervant was no fooner departed than poor Sophia began to

intreat her coufin not to encourage the vifits of that odious lord (fo fhe called him, though a little unjustly) upon her account. I fee his defign,' faid fhe; for he made downright love to me yesterday morning: but as I am refolved never to admit it, I beg your Ladyship * not to leave us alone together any more, and to order the fervants that, if he inquires for me, I may be always denied to him.'

La! child,' fays Lady Bellafton, you country girls have nothing but fweet-hearts in your heads; you fancy every man who is civil to you is making love. He is one of the moft gallant young fellows about town, and, I am convinced, means no more than a little gal✦ lantry. Make love to you indeed! I wish with all my heart he would, and you must be an arrant mad woman to refufe him.'

But as I fhall certainly be that mad woman,” cries Sophia, I hope his vifits fhall not be intruded upon • me.'

'O child,' faid Lady Bellafton, you need not be fo fearful; if you refolve to run away with that Jones, I know no perfon who can hinder you.'

6

Upon my honour, Madam, cries Sophia, your Ladyfhip injures me. I will never run away with any man; nor will I ever marry contrary to my father's inclinations.'

• Well, Mifs Weftern,' faid the lady, if you are not • in a humour to fee company this morning, you may retire to your own apartment; for I am not frightened at his Lordship, and must fend for him up. into my dreffing-room.?

Sophia thanked her Ladyfhip, and withdrew; and prefently afterwards Fellamar was admitted up stairs.

CHA P. IV.

By which it will appear how dangerous an advocate a lady is when he applies her eloquence to an ill purpose.

W

HEN Lady Bellafton heard the young lord's fcruples, the treated them with the fame difdain with which one of thofe fages of the law, called New-

gate folicitors, treats the qualms of confcience in a young witness. My dear Lord,' faid the, you certainly ⚫ want a cordial. I muft fend to Lady Edgely for one of ⚫ her best drams. Fy upon it! have more refolution. Are you frightened at the word rape? or are you apprehenfive- ? Well if the ftory of Helen was modern, I should think it unnatural; I mean the behaviour of Paris, not the fondness of the lady; for all women love a man of spirit. There is another story of the S2bine ladies,- and that too, I thank Heaven, is very ⚫ ancient. Your Lordship, perhaps, will admire my reading; but I think Mr Hooke tells us, they made tolerable good wives afterwards. I fancy few of my married acquaintance were ravished by their hufbands. Nay, dear Lady Bellafton,' cried he, don't ridicule me in this manner.' Why, my good Lord,' anfwered fhe, do you think any woman in England would not laugh at you in her heart, whatever prudery fhe might wear in her countenance?You force me to use a ftrange kind of language, and to betray my fex most abominably but I am contented with knowing my intentions are good, and that I am endeavouring to ferve my coufin; for I think you will make her a good huf• band notwithstanding this; or, upon my foul, I would 6 not even perfuade her to fling herself away upon an empty title. She fhould not upbraid me hereafter with having lot a man of fpirit; for that his enemies allow this poor young fellow to be.'

:

6

Let thofe who have had the fatisfaction of hearing reflections of this kind from a wife or a miftrefs, declare whether they are at all fweetened by coming from a female tongue. Certain it is, they funk deeper into his Lordship than any thing which Demofthenes or Cicero could have faid on the occafion.

Lady Bellafton perceiving fhe had fired the young lord's pride, began now, like a true orator, to roule other paffions to its affiftance. My Lord,' fays fhe, in a graver voice, you will be pleased to remember, you mentioned this matter to me firft; for I would not appear to you in the light of one who is endeavouring to put off my couûn upon you. Fourfcore thousand pounds do not fland in need of an advocate to recom

mend them. Nor doth Mifs Western,' faid he, re⚫quire any recommendation from her fortune; for, in my opinion, no woman ever had half her charms.' • Yes,

yes, my Lord,' replied the lady, looking in the glass, there have been women with more than half her charms, Laffure you; not that I need leffen her on that account: 'fhe is a moft delicious girl, that's certain; and within thefe few hours fhe will be in the arms of one who furely ́ doth not deserve her, though I will give him his due, I believe he is truly a man of fpirit.'

I hope fo, Madam,' faid my Lord; though I muft own he doth not deferve her; for unlefs Heaven, or your Ladyship disappoint me, fhe shall within that time

'be mine.'

Well spoken, my Lord,' anfwered the lady; • I promife you no difappointment fhall happen from my fide; and within this week I am convinced I fhall call your Lordship my coufin in public.'

The remainder of this fcene confifted entirely of raptures, excufes, and compliments, very pleafant to have heard from the parties, but rather dull when related at fecond hand. Here, therefore, we fhall put an end to this dialogue, and haften to the fatal hour, when every thing was prepared for the deftruction of poor Sophia.

But this being the moft tragical matter in our whole ⚫hiftory, we fhall treat it in a chapter by itself.

CHA P. V.

Containing fome matters which may affect, and others which may furprife the reader.

T

HE clock had now ftruck feven, and poor Sophia, alone and melancholy, fat reading a tragedy. It was the Fatal Marriage; and fhe was now come to that part where the poor diftreffed Ifabella difpofes of her wedding-ring.

Here the book dropt from her hand, and a fhower of tears ran down into her bofom. In this fituation she had continued a minute, when the door opened, and in came Lord Fellamar. Sophia ftarted from her chair at his entrance; and his Lordship advancing forwards, and making a low bow, faid, I am afraid, Mifs Western, I