affure you, I can never be made completely happy, without you generously bestow on me a legal right of calling you mine for ever. I am, • MADAM, • With moft profound respect, Your Ladyfhip's most obliged, THOMAS JONES.' To this fhe presently returned the following anfwer. SIR, W HEN I read over your ferious epistle, I could, from its coldnefs and formality, have fworn that you had already the legal right you mention; nay, that we had for many years compofed that monftrous animal, a husband and wife. Do you really then imagine me a fool? or do you fancy yourfelf capable of fo entirely perfuading me out of my fenfes, that I fhould deliver my whole fortune into your power, in order to enable you to fupport your pleasures at my expence. Are thefe the proofs of love which I expec'ted? Is this the return for--? but I fcorn to upbraid you, and am in great admiration of your pro⚫ found refpect. P. S. I am prevented from revifing ;-Perhaps I have faid more than I meant.- -Come to me at eight this ' evening.' Jones, by the advice of his privy-council, replied, < MADAM, I the mppicion you entertain v much T is impoffible to exprefs how much I am fhocked at Can Lady Bellafton have conferred favours on a man whom he could believe capable of fo bafe a defign? or can fhe treat the most folemn tie of love with contempt? Can you imagine, Madam, that if the violence of my paffion, in an unguarded moment, overcame the tenderness which I have for your honour, that I would think of indulging myfelf in the continuance of an intercourfe which could not poffibly escape long the notice of the world, and which, when difcovered, muft prove fo fatal to your reputation? If fuch be your opinion of me, I must pray for a fudden opportunity of returning thofe pecuniary obligations which I have been fo unfortunate to receive at your hands, and for those of a • more tender kind I fhall ever remain,' &c. And fo concluded in the very words with which he had concluded the former letter. The lady anfwered as follows: I fee you are a villain, and I defpife you from my foul. If you come here, I fhail not be at home.' Though Jones was well fatisfied with his deliverance from a thraldom which thofe who have ever experienced it will, I apprehend, allow to be none of the lighteft, he was not, however, perfectly eafy in his mind. There was in this fcheme too much of fallacy to fatisfy one who utterly detefted every fpecies of falfehood or difhonesty; nor would he, indeed, have fubmitted to put it in practice, had he not been involved in a diftrefsful fituation, where he was obliged to be guilty of fome difhonour, either to the one lady or to the other; and furely the reader will allow, that every good principle, as well as love, pleaded ftrongly in favour of Sophia. Nightingale highly exulted in the fuccefs of his ftratagem, upon which he received many thanks, and very much applaufe, from his friend. He anfwered, Dear Tom, we have conferred very different obligations on each other. To me you owe the regaining your li berty; to you I owe the lofs of mine: but if you are as happy in the one inftance as I am in the other, I ' promise you, we are the two happiest fellows in England.' The two gentlemen were now fummoned down to dinner, where Mrs Miller, who performed herself the office of cook, had exerted her beft talents to celebrate the wedding of her daughter. This joyful circumftance fhe afcribed principally to the friendly behaviour of Jones; her whole foul was fired with gratitude towards him, and all her looks, words, and actions, were so bufied in expreffing it, that her daughter, and even her new fon-in-law, were very little the objects of her confideration. Dinner was just ended when Mrs Miller received a letter; but as we have had letters enough in this chapter, we fhall communicate the contents in our next. CHAP. X. Confifling partly of facts, and partly of obfervations upon T the them. HE letter, then, which arrived at the end of the preceding chapter was from Mr Allworthy, and purport of it was his intention to come immediately to town, with his nephew Blifil, and a defire to be accommodated with his ufual lodgings, which were the first floor for himself, and the fecond for his nephew. The chearfulness which had before difplayed itself in the countenance of the poor woman, was a little clouded on this occafion. This news did indeed a good deal difconcert her. To requite fo difinterefted a match with her daughter, by prefently turning her new fon-in-law out of doors, appeared to her very unjustifiable on the one hand; and, on the other, fhe could fcarce bear the thoughts of making any excufe to Mr Allworthy, after all the obligations received from him, for depriving him of lodgings which were indeed ftrictly his due: for that gentleman, in conferring all his numberlefs benefits on others, acted by a rule diametrically oppofite to what is practifed by moft generous people. He contrived on all occafions to hide his beneficence, not only from the world, but even from the object of it. He conftantly ufed the words, lend and pay, inftead of give; and, by every other method he could invent, always leffened with his tongue the favours he conferred, while he was heaping them with both his hands. When he fettled the annuity of 50 l. a-year, therefore, on Mrs Miller, he told her, It was in confideration of always having her firft floor when he was in town, (which he scarce ever ' intended to be), but that the might let it at any other time, for he would always fend her a month's warning.' He was now, however, hurried to town fo fuddenly, that he had no opportunity of giving fuch notice; and this hurry probably prevented him, when he wrote for his lodgings, adding, if they were then empty: for he would moft certainly have been well fatisfied to have relinquished them on a lefs fufficient excufe than what Mrs Miller could now have made. But there are a fort of perfons who, as Prior excellently well remarks, direct their conduct by fomething Beyond the fix'd and fettled rules Of vice and virtue in the fchools; To thefe it is fo far from being fufficient that their defence would acquit them at the Old-Bailey, that they are not even contented, though confcience, the feverest of all judges, fhould difcharge them. Nothing fhort of the fair and honourable, will fatisfy the delicacy of their minds; and if any of their actions fall fhort of this mark, they mope and pine, are as uneafy and restless as a murderer, who is afraid of a ghoft, or of the hangman. Mrs Miller was one of thefe. She could not conceal her uneafinefs at this letter; with the contents of which fhe had no fooner acquainted the company, and given fome hints of her diftrefs, than Jones, her good angel, presently relieved her anxiety. As for myself, Madam,' faid he, my lodging is at your fervice at a moment's warning: and Mr Nightingale, I am fure, as he cannot yet prepare a houfe fit to receive his lady, will confent to return to his new lodging, whither Mrs Nightingale will certainly confent to go.' With which propofal both hufband and wife inftantly agreed. The reader will eafily believe, that the cheeks of Mrs Miller began again to glow with additional gratitude to Jones; but, perhaps, it may be more difficult to perfuade him, that Mr Jones having, in his laft speech, called her daughter Mrs Nightingale (it being the first time that agreeable found had ever reached her ears) gave the fond mother more fatisfaction, and warmed her heart more towards Jones, than his having diffipated her prefent anxiety. The next day was then appointed for the removal of the new-married couple, and of Mr Jones, who was like wife to be provided for in the fame houfe with his friend. And now the ferenity of the company was again reftored, and they paft the day in the utmoft chearfulness, all except Jones, who, though he outwardly accompanied the reft in their mirth, felt many a bitter pang on the account of his Sophia; which were not a little heightened by the news of Mr Blifil's coming to town, (for he clearly faw the intention of his journey); and what greatly aggravat ed his concern was, that Mrs Honour, who had promised to inquire after Sophia, and to make her report to him early the next evening, had disappointed him. In the fituation that he and his mitrefs were in at this time, there were scarce any grounds for him to hope that he fhould hear any good news; yet he was as impatient to fee Mrs Honour, as if he had expected fhe would bring him a letter with an affignation in it from Sophia, and bore the difappointment as ill. Whether this impatience arofe from that natural weaknefs of the human mind, which makes it defirous to know the worft, and renders uncertainty the most intolerable of pains; or whether he still flattered himself with fome fecret hopes, we will not determine. But that it might be the laf, whoever has loved 'cannot but know. For of all the powers exercised by this paffion over our minds, one of the moft wonderful is that of fupporting hope in the midst of defpair. Difficulties, improbabilities, nay, impoffibilities are quite overlooked by it; fo that to any man extremely in love, may be applied what Addifon fays of Cæfar, The Alps, and Pyrenæans, fink before him. Yet it is equally true, that the fame paffion will fometimes make mountains of mole-hills, and produce defpair in the midst of hope; but thefe cold fits laft not long in good conftitutions. Which temper Jones was now inwe leave the reader to guefs, having no exact information about it; but this is certain, that he had fpent two hours in expectation, when being unable any longer to conceal his uneafinefs, he retired to his room; where his anxiety had almoft made him frantic, when the following letter was brought him from Mrs Honour, with which we fhall prefent the reader verbatim et literatim. N VOL. III. |