Your humble fervant, Sir; Lady Bellafton, your most • obedient.'

as I

am

you

I

My

His Lordship was no fooner gone than Lady Bellafton coming up to Mr Weltern, faid, Blefs me, Sir, what have you done? You know not whom you have affronted; he is a nobleman of the first rank and fortune, and yesterday made propofals to your daughter, and fuch muft accept fure with the highest pleasure.' Anfwer for yourself, lady coufin,' faid the fquire; will have nothing to do with any of your lords. daughter fhall have an honeft country-gentleman; I have-pitched upon one for her, and fhe fhall ha' un. I am forry for the trouble fhe hath given your Lady. ship, with all my heart.' Lady Bellafton made a civil fpeech upon the word trouble, to which the fquire answered, Why, that's kind,-and I would do as much for your Ladyship. To be fure relations fhould do for one another fo I wish your Ladyfhip a good night.-Come, Madam, you must go along with me by fair means, or I'll have you carried down to the coach."

Sophia faid fhe would attend him without force; but begged to go in a chair; for fhe faid fhe fhould not be able to ride any other way.

ΠΟΥ

Prithee,' cries the fquire, wout unt perfuade me canft ride in a coach, wouldft? that's a pretty thing furely. • No, no; I'll never let thee out of my fight any more till thou art married, that 1 promife thee. Sophia told him, fhe faw he was refolved to break her heart. break thy heart and be d-n'd,' quoth he, if a good hufband will break it. I don't value a brafs varden, not a halfpenny of any undutiful b-upon earth.' He then took violently hold of her hand, upon which the parfon once more interfered, begging him to ufe gentle methods. At that the fquire thundered out a curfe, and bid the parfon hold his tongue, faying, At'n't in pulpit now; when art a got up there I never mind what doft say; but I won't be prieft-riden, and taught how to behave my felf by thee.--I with your Ladyfhip a good night. -Come along, Sophy; be a good girl, and all shall be Shat ha' un, d-n me, that ha' un.' Mrs Honour appeared below ftairs, and, with a low VOL. III.

• well.

L

curtefy to the fquire, offered to attend his miftrefs; but he pushed her away, faying, Hold, Madam, hold, yon come no more near my houfe.' And will you take my maid away from me?' faid Sophia. Yes, indeed, Ma. dam, will 1,' cries the fquire : "You need not fear be-. ing without a fervant; I will get you another maid, and a better maid than this, who, I'd lay five pound to a crown, is no more a maid than my grannum. No, no, Sophy, fhe fhall contrive no more efcapes, I promife you.' He then packed up his daughter and the parfon into a hackney coach, after which he mounted himself, and ordered it to drive to his lodgings. In the way thither he fuffered Sophia to be quiet, and entertained himself with reading a lecture to the parfon on good manners, and a proper behaviour of his betters.

It is poffible he might not fo eafily have carried off his daughter from Lady Bellafton, had that good lady defired to have detained her; but, in reality, fhe was not a little pleafed with the confinement into which Sophia was going; and as her project with Lord Fellamar had failed of fuccefs, fhe was well contented that other violent methods were now going to be used in favour of another

man.

CHA P. VI.

By what means the fquire came to difcover his daughter.

T

HOUGH the reader in many hiftories is obliged to digeft much more unaccountable appearances than this of Mr Western, without any fatisfaction at all; yet, as we dearly love to oblige him whenever it is in our power, we fhall now proceed to fhew by what method the fquire difcovered where his daughter was.

In the third chapter then of the preceding book, we gave a hint (for it is not our cuflom to unfold at any time more than is neceffary for the occafion) that Mrs Fitzpatrick, who was very defirous of reconciling herfelf to her uncle and aunt Weftern, thought he had a probable opportunity, by the fervice of preferving Sophia from committing the fame crime which had drawn on herfclf the anger of her family. After much deliberation, therefore, the refolved to inform her aunt Wef

tern where her coufin was; and accordingly the writ the following letter, which we shall give the reader at length, for more reafons than one.

• Honoured Madam,

T

HE occafion of my writing this will, perhaps, make a letter of mine agreeable to my dear aunt for the 'fake of one of her nieces, though I have little reafɔn to 'hope it will be so on the account of another.

Without more apology, as I was coming to throw 'my unhappy felf at your feet, I met, by the ftrangest accident in the world, my coufia Sophia, whofe hiftory you are better acquainted with than myfelf, though, alas! I know infinitely too much; enough indeed to fatisfy me, that unlefs fhe is immediately prevented, 'fhe is in danger of running into the fame fatal mischief which, by foolishly and ignorantly refusing your most wife and prudent advice, I have unfortunately brought on myself.

-No

In short, I have feen the man, nay, I was most part of yesterday in his company, and a charming young fellow I promise you he is. By what accident he came acquainted with me is too tedious to tell you now; but I have this morning changed my lodging to avoid him, left he fhould by my means difcover my coufin; 'for he doth not yet know where she is, and it is adviseable 'he should not, till my uncle hath fecured her.'time, therefore, is to be loft; and I need only inform you, that he is now with Lady Bellafton, whom I have feen, and who hath, I find, a defign of concealing her, from her family. You know, Madam, fhe is a strange woman; but nothing could mifbecome me more, than to presume to give any hint to one of your great underftanding, and great knowledge of the world, belides barely informing you of the matter of fact.

I hope, Madam, the care which I have fhewn on this 'occafion for the good of my family, will recommend me again to the favour of a lady who hath always exerted fo much zeal for the honour and true intereft of us all; and that it may be a means of restoring me to your friendship, which hath made fo great a part of my for

mer, and is fo neceffary to my future happinefs. I am,

with the utmost respect, Honoured MADAM,

• Your most dutiful obliged niece,

and moft obedient

• humble fervant, HARRIET FITZPATRICK."

Mrs Weftern was now at her brother's houfe, where fhe had refided ever fince the flight of Sophia, in order to adminifter comfort to the poor fquire in his affliction Of this comfort, which the doled out to him in daily portions, we have formerly given a fpecimen.

She was now ftanding with her back to the fire, and, with a pinch of fnuff in her hand, was dealing forth this daily allowance of comfort to the fquire, while he fmoakedt his afternoon pipe, when fhe received the above letter; which fhe had no fooner read than fhe delivered it to him, faying, There, Sir, there is an account of your loft heep. Fortune hath again reftored her to you, and if you will be governed by my advice, it is poffible you may yet preferve her.'

The fquire had no fooner read the letter than he lcaped from his chair, threw his pipe into the fire, and gave a loud huzza for joy. He then fummoned his fervants, called for his boots, and ordered the Chevalier and feveral other horfes to be faddled, and that Parfon Supple fhould be immediately fent for. Having done this, he turned to his fifter, caught her in his arms, -and gave her a close embrace, faying, Zounds you don't seem pleafed; one would imagine you was forry I have found my girl.

Brother,' anfwered fhe, the deepest politicians, who fee to the bottom, difcover often a very differ•ent aspect of affairs, from what fwims on the furface. It is true, indeed, things do look rather lefs. defperate than they did formerly in Holland, when Lewis the Fourteenth was at the gates of Amflerdam; but there is a delicacy required in this matter, which you will pardon me, brother, if I fufpect you want. There is a decorum to be used with a woman of figure, fuch as

Lady Bellafton, brother, which requires a knowledge of the world, fuperior, I am afraid, to yours.'

Sifter,' cries the fquire,' I know you have no opinion of my parts; but I'll fhew you on this occafion who is a fool. Knowledge, quotha! I have not been in the country fo long without having fome knowledge of warrants and the law of the land. I know I may Shew my my

take my own where-ever I can find it.

own daughter, and if I don't know how to come at • her, I'll suffer you to call me a fool as long as I live. There be juftices of peace in London, as well as in o⚫ther places.'

6

I proteft,' cries fhe, you make me tremble for the event of this matter, which, if you will proceed by my advice, you may bring to fo good an iffue. Do you really imagine, brother, that the houfe of a woman of figure is to be attacked by warrants and brutal juftices of the peace; I will inform you how to proceed. As foon as you arrive in town, and have got yourself into a decent drefs, (for indeed, brother, you have none at prefent fit to appear in, you must send your compliments to lady Bellafton, and defire leave to wait on her. When you are admitted to her prefence, as you certainly will be, and have told her your ftory, and have made proper ufe of my name, (for I think you only juft know one another by fight, though you are relations,) I am confident fhe will withdraw her protection from my niece, who hath certainly imposed upon her. This is the only method. Juftices of the peace, indeed! do you imagine any fuch event can arrive to a woman of figure in a civilized nation?'

D-n your figures, cries the fquire; a pretty civilized nation, truly, where women are above the law. And what, muft I ftand fending a parcel of compliments to a confounded whore, that keeps away a daughter • from her own natural father? I tell you, fifter, I am not fo ignorant as you think me.— -I know you would have women above the law, but it is all a lie; I heard his Lordship fay at a 'Size, that no one is above the law. But this of yours is your Hannover law, I fuppofe.” Mr Western, faid fhe, I think you daily improve