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man can do and if any thing be in my power, promife you I will do it to ferve you. It is my duty. My fon, my dear Mr Nightingale, who is fo kind to tell me he hath obligations to you on the fame account, knows it is my duty. Shall I go to the lady myfelf? I will fay anything to her you would have me fay.'

Thou beft of women,' cries Jones, taking her by the hand, talk not of obligations to me ;-but, as you • have been fo kind to mention it, there is a favour which, perhaps, may be in your power. I fee you are acquainted with the lady (how you came by your information I know not) who fits indeed very near my heart. If you could contrive to deliver this, (giving her a paper from his pocket), I fhall for ever acknowledge your goodness.'

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Give it me,' faid Mrs Miller. If I fee it not in her own poffeffion before I fleep, may my next fleep be my laft. Comfort yourself, my good young man; be wise enough to take warning from paft follies, and I warrant all shall be well, and I fhall yet fee you happy with the most charming young lady in the world; for fo I hear from every one, fhe is.'

Believe me, Madam,' faid he, I do not speak the common cant of one in my unhappy fituation. Before this dreadful accident happened, I had refolved to quit a life of which I was become fenfible of the wickedness as well as folly. I do affure you, notwithstanding the disturbances I have unfortunately occafioned in your houfe, for which I heartily afk your pardon, I am not an abandoned profligate. Though I have been hurried into vices, I do not approve a vicious character; nor will I ever from this monent deferve it.'

Mrs Miller expreffed great fatisfaction in thefe declarations, in the fincerity of which fhe averred fhe had an entire faith and now the remainder of the converfation paffed in the joint attempts of that good woman and Mr Nightingale, to cheer the dejected fpirits of Mr Jones, in which they fo far fucceeded, as to leave him much better comforted and fatisfied than sy fourd him; to which happy alteration nothing fo much contributed as the kind undertaking of Mrs Miller, to deliver his letter to Sophia, which he defpaired of finding any means to ac

complish for when Black George produced the laft from Sophia, he informed Partridge, that the had ftrictly charged him, on pain of having it communicated to her father, not to bring her any anfwer. He was, moreover not a little pleafed to find he had fo warm an advocate to Mr Allworthy himself in this good woman, who reality, one of the worthielt creatures in the world.

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After about an hour's vifit from the lady, (for Nightingale had been with him much longer), they both took their leave, promifing to return to him foon; during which Mrs Miller faid, fhe hoped to bring him fome good news from his miftrefs, and Mr Nightingale promifed to inquire into the state of Mr Fitzpatrick's wound, and likewife to find out fome of the perfons who were prefent at the ren

counter.

The former of thefe went directly in queft of Sophia, whither we likewife fhall now attend her.

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CHA P. VI.

In which Mrs Miller pays a visit to Sophia.

CCESS to the young lady was by no means difficult: for as he lived now on a perfect friendly footing with her aunt, the was at full liberty to receive what vi fitants fhe pleased.

Sophia was dreffing, when she was acquainted that there was a gentlewoman below to wait on her. As fhe was neither afraid nor afhamed to fee any of her own fex, Mrs Miller was immediately admitted.

Curt'fies and the usual ceremonials between women who are ftrangers to each other being paffed, Sophia faid, ‹ I have not the pleasure to know you, Madam,’ • No, Madam,' aufwered Mrs Miller, and I muft beg pardon for intruding upon you. But when you know what has induced me to give you this trouble, I hope’Pray, what is your bufinefs, Madam? faid Sophia, with a little emotion. Madam, we are not alone,' replied Mrs Miller, in a low voice. Go out, Betty,' faid Sophia.

When Betty was departed, Mrs Miller faid, I was defired, Madam, by a very unhappy young gentleman, to deliver you this letter.' Sophia changed colour VOL. III.

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when the faw the direction, well knowing the hand; and after fome hesitation, faid, I could not conceive, Madam, from your appearance, that your business had been been of fuch a nature.-Whomever you brought this letter from, I fhall not open it. I fhould be forry to • entertain an unjust fufpicion of any one; but utter ftranger to me.'

you are an

If you will have patience, Madam,' anfwered Mrs Miller, I will acquaint you who I am, and how I came ' by that letter.' I have no curiofity, Madam, to know any thing,' cries Sophia; but I must infift on your delivering that letter back to the perfon who gave it you.' Mrs Miller then fell upon her knees, and in the most paffionate terms implored her compaffion; to which Sophia answered: Sure, Madam, it is furprifing you fhould be fo very strongly interefted in the behalf of this perfon. I would not think, Madam' No, Madam,' fays Mrs Miller, you shall not think any thing but the < truth. I will tell you all, and you will not wonder that I am interested. He is the beft-natured creature that ever was born.'- -She then began and related the ftory of Mr Henderfon-After this fhe cried, This, • Madam, this is his goodnefs; but I have much more ⚫ tender obligations to him. He hath preferved my child.'

Here, after hedding fome tears, the related every thing concerning that fact, fuppreffing only thofe circumftances which would have moft reflected on her daugh ter, and concluded with faying, Now, Madam, you shall judge whether I can ever do enough for fo kind, fo good, fo generous a young man; and fure he is the beft and worthieft of all human beings.'

The alterations in the countenance of Sophia had hitherto been chiefly to her difadvantage, and had inclined her complexion to too great palenefs; but the now waxed redder, if poffible, than vermilion, and cried, I know not what to fay; certainly what arifes from gratitude 'cannot be blamed- But what fervice can my reading this letter do your friend, fince I am refolved never'Mrs Miller fell again to her intreaties, and begged to be forgiven, but fhe could not, fhe faid, carry it back. Well, Madam,' fays Sophia, I cannot help it, if you will force it upon me.-- -Certainly you may leave it

whether I will or no.' What Sophia meant, or whether he meant any thing, I will not prefume to determine; but Mrs Miller actually understood this as a hint, and prefently laying the letter down on the table, took her leave, having firft begged permiflion to wait again on Sophia; which request had neither affent nor denial.

The letter lay upon the table no longer than till Mrs Miller was out of fight; for then Sophia opened and read it..

This letter did very little fervice to his caufe; for it confifted of little more than confeffions of his own unworthinefs, and bitter lamentations of defpair, together with the most folemn proteftations of his unalterable fidelity to Sophia, of which he said, he hoped to convince her, if he had ever more the honour of being admitted to her prefence; and that he could account for the letter to Lady Bellafton, in fuch a manner, that though it would not intitle him to her forgivenefs, he hoped at least to obtain it from her mercy. And concluded with vowing, that nothing was ever lefs in his thoughts than to marry Lady Bellafton.

Though Sophia read the letter twice over with great attention, his meaning ftill remained a riddle to her; nor could her invention fuggeft to her any means to excufe Jones. She certainly remained very angry with him, though indeed Lady Bellafton took up fo much of her refentment, that her gentle mind had but little left to bestow on any other perfon.

That lady was moft unluckily to dine this very day with her aunt Western, and in the afternoon they were all three, by appointment, to go together to the opera, and thence to Lady Thomas Hatchet's drum. Sophia would have gladly been excufed from all, but she would not difoblige her aunt; and as to the arts of counterfeiting illness, fhe was fo entirely a ftranger to them, that it never once entered into her head. When he was dreffed, therefore, down she went, refolved to encounter all the horrors of the day, and a moft difagreeable one it proved; for Lady Bellafton took every opportunity, very civilly and flily, to infult her; to all which her dejection of fpirits difabled her from making any return:

and indeed, to confefs the truth, she was at the but an indifferent mistress of repartee.

Another misfortune which befel poor Sophia was the company of Lord Fellamar, whom he met at the opera, and who attended her to the drum. And though both places were too public to admit of any particularities, and he was farther relieved by the mufic at the one place, and by the cards at the other, fhe could not, how ever, enjoy herself in his company: for there is fomething of delicacy in women which will not fuffer them to be even eafy in the prefence of a man whom they know to have pretenfions to them, which they are difinclined to favour.

Having in this chapter twice mentioned a drum, a word which our pofterity, it is hoped, will not underftand in the fenfe it is here applied, we fhall, notwithfanding our prefent hafte, ftop a moment to defcribe the entertainment here meant, and the rather as we can in a moment defcribe it.

A drum then, is an affembly of well-dreffed perfons of both fexes, most of whom play at cards, and the reft do nothing at all; while the miftrefs of the house performs the part of the landlady at an inn, and, like the landlady of an inn prides herself in the number of her guests, though he doth not always, like her, get any thing by it.

No wonder then, as fo much fpirits must be required to fupport any vivacity in thefe fcenes of dulnefs, that we hear perfons of fashion eternally complaining of the want of them; à complaint confined entirely to upperlife. How infupportable muft we imagine this round of impertinence to have been to Sophia at this time! how difficult muft fhe have found it to force the appearance of gaiety into her looks, when her mind dictated nothing but the tendereft forrow, and when every thought was charged with tormenting ideas!

Night, however, at laft reftored her to her pillow, where we will leave her to foothe her melancholy at leaft, though incapable we fear of reft, and shall pursue our hiftory, which fomething whifpers us, is now arrived at the eve of fome great event.