gave

Jones fhook him very heartily by the hand, and him many thanks for the kind offer he had made; but anfwered, He had not the leaft want of that kind. Upon which George began to prefs his fervices more eagerly than before. Jones again thanked him, with affurances that he wanted nothing which was in the power of any man living to give. Come, come, my good ma'fter,' anfwered George, do not take the matter fo much to heart. Things may end better than you imagine; to be fure you an't the first gentleman who hath killed a man, and yet come off.' You are wide of the matter, George,' faid Partridge, the gentleman is not dead, < nor like to die. Don't disturb my master at present, for he is troubled about a matter in which it is not in your power to do him any good.' You don't know what I may be able to do, Mr Partridge,' anfwered George; if his concern is about my young lady, I have fome news to tell my mafter.' What do you fay, Mr George?' cried Jones: hath any thing lately happened in which my Sophia is concerned? My Sophia! how dares fuch a wretch as I mention her fo profanely.'

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I hope she will be yours yet,' anfwered George.

Why, yes, Sir, I have fomething to tell you about her. Madam Western hath juft brought Madam Sophia home, and there hath a terrible to do. I could not poffibly learn the very right of it; but my mafter he hath been in a vait big paffion, and fo was Madam Weitern, and I heard her fay, as he went out of doors • into her chair, that he would never fet her foot in mafter's houfe again. I don't know what's the matter, not I, but every thing was very quiet when I came out; but Robin, who waited at fupper, faid he had never feen the fquire for a long while in fuch good humour with C young Madam; that he kiffed her feveral times, and fwore the fhould be her own miftrefs, and he never would think of confining her any more. I thought this news would pleafe you, and fo I flipped out, though it was fo late, to inform you of it.' Mr Jones affured George that it did greatly pleafe bim; for though he fhould never more prefume to lift his eyes towards that incomparable creature, nothing could fo much relieve

VOL. III.

his mifery as the fatisfaction he fhould always have, in hearing of her welfare.

The reft of the converfation which paffed at the vifit is not important enough to be here related. The reader will therefore forgive us this abrupt breaking off, and be pleafed to hear how this great good will of the fquire towards his daughter was brought about.

Mrs Weftern, on her firft arrive at her brother's lodg ing, began to fet forth the great honours and advantăges which would accrue to the family by the match with Lord Fellamar, which her niece had abfolutely refufed; in which refufal, when the fquire took the part of his daughter, he fell immediately into the moft violent paffion, and fo irritated and provoked the fquire, that neither his patience nor his prudence could bear it any longer; upon which there enfued between them both fo warm a bout at altercation, that perhaps the regions of Billingsgate never equalled it. In the heat of this fcolding Mrs Weftern departed, and had confequently no leifure to acquaint her brother with the letter which Sophia received, which might have poffibly produced ill effects; but to fay truth, I believe it never once occurred to her memory at this time.

When Mrs Western was gone, Sophia, who had been hitherto filent, as well indeed from neceffity as inclination, began to return the compliment which her father had made her, in taking her part against her aunt, by taking his likewife againft the lady. This was the firft time of her fo doing, and it was in the higheft degree acceptable to the fquire. Again he remembred that Mr Allworthy had infifted on an entire relinquishment of all violent means; and indeed, as he made no doubt but that Jones would be hanged, he did not in the leaft queftion fucceeding with his daughter by fair means: he now therefore once more gave a locfe to his natural fondnefs for her, which had fuch an effect on the dutiful, grateful, tender, and affectionate heart of Sophia, that had her honour given to Jones, and fomething elfe perhaps in which he was concerned, been removed, I much doubt whether he would not have facrificed herself to a man fe did not like, to have obliged her father. She promifed him fhe would make it the whole bufincis of

her life to oblige him, and would never marry any man againft his confent; which brought the old man fo near to his highest happiness, that he was refolved to take the other fup, and went to bed completely drunk.

CHA P. III.

Allworthy vifits old Nightingale; with a firange difcovery that he made on that occafion.

HE morning after these things had happened, Mr

fit old Nightingale, with whom his authority was fo great, that after having fat with him three hours, he at laft prevailed with him to confent to see his fon.

Here an accident happened of a very extraordinary kind; one indeed of thofe ftrange chances, whence very good and grave men have concluded that Providence of. ten interpofes in the discovery of the moft fecret villainy, in order to caution men from quitting the paths of honefty, however warily they tread in those of vice.

Mr Allworthy, at his entrance into Mr Nightingale's, faw Black George; he took no notice of him, nor did Black George imagine he had perceived him.

However, when their converfation on the principal point was over, Allworthy afked Nightingale whether he knew one George Seagrim, and upon what bufinefs he 'came to his houfe. Yes,' anfwered Nightingale, I know him very well, and a moft extraordinary fellow he is, who, in thefe days, hath been able to hoard up 500 1. from renting a very fmall eftate of 30l. a? year And is this the ftory which he hath told you? cries Allworthy. Nay, it is true, I promife you,' faid Nightingale, for I have the money now in my own hands, in five bank bills, which I am to lay out either in a mortgage, or in fome purchase in the north of England.' The bank-bills were no fooner produced at Allworthy's defire, than he bleffed himfelf at the ftrangenefs of the discovery. He presently told Mr Nightin gale, that these bank-bills were formerly his, and then acquainted him with the whole affair. As there are no men who complain more of the frauds of bulinefs than highwaymen, gamefters, and other thieves of that kind;

fo there are none who fo bitterly exclaim against the fiauds of Gamefters, &c. as ufurers, broker, and other thicves of this kind; whether it be that the one way of cheating is a discountenance or reflection upon the other, or that money, which is the common mistress of all cheats, makes them regard each other in the light of rivals; but Nightingale no fooner heard the flory, than he exclaimed against the fellow in terms much feverer than the juftice and honefty of Allworthy had bestowed on him.

Allworthy defired Nightingale to retain both the money and the fecret till he should hear farther from him; and if he fhould in the mean time fee the fellow, that he would not take the leaft notice to him of the discovery which he had made. He then returned to his lodgings, where he found Mrs Miller in a very dejected condition, on account of the information fhe had received from her fonin-law. Mr Allworthy, with great chearfulness, told her that he had much good news to communicate; and with little further preface, acquainted her, that he had brought Mr Nightingale to confent to fee his fon, and did not in the leaft doubt to effect a perfect reconciliation between them; though he found the father more foured by another accident of the fame kind, which had happened in his family. He then mentioned the running away of the uncle's daughter, which he had been told by the old gentleman, and which Mrs Miller, and her fon-in law, did not yet know.

The reader may fuppofe Mrs Miller received this account with great thankfulness, and no lefs pleasure; but fo uncommon was her friendship to Jones, that I am not certain whether the uneafinefs fhe fuffered for his fake, did not overbalance her fatisfaction at hearing a piece of news tending fo much to the happiness of her own family; nor whether even this very news, as it reminded her of the obligations fhe had to Jones, did not hurt as well as please her when her grateful heart faid to her, While my own family is happy, how miferable is the poor creature, to whofe generolity we owe the beginning of all this happiness!'

Allworthy having left her a little while to chew the cud (if I may ufe that expreffion) on these first tidings,

6

told her, he had still fomething more to impart, which, he believed, would give her pleasure. I think, faid he, I have difcovered a pretty confiderable treasure belonging to the young gentleman, your friend; but, perhaps indeed, his prefent fituation may be fuch that it will be of no fervice to him.' The latter part of the fpeech gave Mrs Miller to underftand who was meant, and the answered with a figh, I hope not, Sir.' 'I

6

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hope fo too,' cries Allworthy, with all my heart; but my nephew told me this morning, he had heard a 6 very bad account of the affair.'- Good Heaven! Sir,' faid fhe,- Well, I must not fpeak, and yet it is certainly very hard to be obliged to hold one's tongue when one hears' Madam,' faid Allworthy, 'you may fay whatever you pleafe, you know me too well to think I have a prejudice against any one; and as for that young man, I affure you I should be heartily pleafed to find he could acquit himself of every thing, and particularly of this fad affair. You can teftify the affection I have formerly borne him. The world, I know, cenfured me for loving him so much. I did not withdraw that affection from him without thinking I had the jufteft caufe. Believe me, Mrs Miller, I should be glad to find I have been mistaken.' Mrs Miller was going early to reply, when a fervant acquainted her that a gentleman without defired to fpeak with her immediately. Allworthy then inquired for his nephew, and was told, that he had been for fome time in his room with the gentleman who used to come to him, and whom Mr Allworthy gueffing rightly to be Mr Dowling, he defired presently to speak with him.

When Dowling attended, Allworthy put the case of the bank-notes to him, without mentioning any name, and afked in what manner fuch a perfon might be punished. To which Dowling anfwered, he thought he might be indicted on the black at; but faid, as it was a mat. ter of fome nicety, it would be proper to go to counfel. He faid he was to attend counfel prefently upon an af fair of Mr Weftern's, and if Mr Allworthy pleased, he would lay the cafe before them. This was agreed to; and then Mrs Miller opening the door, cried, I afk parden, I did not know you had company;' but All