Allworthy then flepped to the door, in order to call a fervant; when in came, not Mr Dowling, but the gentleman who will be seen in the next chapter.

T

Further continuation.

HE gentleman who now arrived was no other than Mr Weftern. He no fooner faw Allworthy, than, without confidering in the leaft the prefence of Mrs Waters, he began to vociferate in the following manner: Fine doings at my house! A rare kettle of fifh I have difcovered at laft; who the devil would be plagued with a daughter?" What's the matter, neighbour?" faid Allworthy. 'Matter enough,' anfwered Western. When I thought he was a-juft coming to, nay, when fhe had, in a manner, promised me to do as I would ha her, and when I was a hoped to have had nothing more to do than to have fent for the lawyer, and finish• ed all-what do you think I have found out? that the little bhath been playing tricks with me all the while, and carrying on a correfpondence with that baftard of yours. Sifter Weftern, whom I have quarrelled with upon her account, fent me word o't, and I ordered her pockets to be fearched when he was asleep, and here I have got un-figned with the fon of a whore's " on name. I have not had patience to read half o't, for 'tis longer than one of Parfon Supple's fermons ; but I find plainly it is all about love; and indeed what fhould it be elfe? I have packed her up in chamber again, and to-morrow morning down the goes into the country, unlefs fhe confents to be married directly, and there fhe fhall live in a garret upon bread and water all her days; and the fooner fuch a b breaks her heart the better, though d-n her, that I believe is too tough. She will live long enough to plague me.' Mr Weltern,' anfwered Allworthy, you know I have always protefted againft force, and you yourfelf con• fented that none fhould be used.'- 6 Ay,' cries he, that was only upon condition that he would confent withWhat, the devil and Dr Fauftus! fhan't I do what I will with my own daughter, efpecially when I

< out.

⚫ defire nothing but her own good? Well, neighbour,' anfwered Allworthy, if you will give me leave, I will • undertake once to argue with the young lady,' • Will

you,' faid Western,' why that is kind now and neighbourly, and mayhap you will do more than I have been able to do with her; for I promife you fhe hath a very good opinion of you.' Well, Sir,' faid Allworthy, if you will go home and releafe the young lady from her captivity, I will wait upon her within this half hour. But fuppofe,' faid Weftern, fhe fhould run · away with un in the mean time? for Lawyer Dowling tells me, there is no hopes of hanging the fellow at laft, for that the man is alive, and like to do well, and that he thinks Jones will be out of prifon again prefently. How,' faid Allworthy, what, did you employ him then to inquire or to do any thing in that matter? Not I,' answered Western, he mentioned it to me just now of his own accord '. Juft now!' cries Allworthy, why, where did you fee him then? I want much to fee Mr Dowling.' Why, you may fee un, an you will, prefently at my lodgings; for there is to be a meeting of lawyers there this morning, about a mortgage. Icod! I fhall lofe two or dree thousand pounds, I believe, by that honeft gentleman Mr Nightingale.''Well, Sir,' faid Allworthy, I will be with you within the half hour.' And do for ouce,' cries the fquire, take a fool's advice, and never think of dealing with her by gentle methods; take my word for it, thofe will never do. I have tried um long enough. She muft be frightened into it, there is no other way. Tell her I'm her father; and of the horrid fin of difobedience, and of the dreadful punishment of it in t'other world, and then tell her about being locked up all her life in a garret in this, and being kept · only on bread and water.' I will do all I can,' faid Allworthy; for I promife you, there is nothing I wish for more than an alliance with this amiable creature." Nay, the girl is well enough, for matter o' that,' cries the fquire; a man may go farther and meet with worfe meat; that I may declare o' her, thof fhe be my own daughter. And if fhe will be but obedient to me, there is n'arrow a father within a hundred miles o' the place

:

go

But I fee you huome and ex

that loves a daughter better then I do. are bufy with the lady here, fo I will pect you, and fo your humble fervant." As foon as Mr Wettern was gone, Mrs Waters faid, I fee, Sir, the fquire hath not the leaft remembrance of my face. I believe, Mr Allworthy, you would not have known me neither. I am very confiderably altered fince that day when you fo kindly gave me that advice, which I had been happy had I followed.'-' Indeed, Madam,' cries Allworthy, it gave me great con cern when I first heard the contrary.' • Indeed, Sir,* fays fhe, I was ruined by a very deep fcheme of villainy, which, if you knew, though I pretend not to think it would jukify me in your opinion, it would at least mi tigate my offence, and induce you to pity me: you are ⚫ not now at leifure to hear my whole ftory; but this I • affure you, I was betrayed by the moft folemn promifes of marriage; nay, in the eye of heaven I was married to him for after much reading on the fubject, I am convinced that particular ceremonies are only requifite to give a legal fanction to marriage, and have only a worldly ufe in giving a woman the privileges of a wife; but that he who lives conftant to one man, after a folemn private affiance, whatever the world may call her, hath little to charge on her own confcience. I am forry, Madam,' faid Allworthy, you have made fo ill an ufe of your learning. Indeed it would have been well that you had been poffeffed of much more, or had remained in a ftate of ignorance. And yet, Madam, I am afraid you have more than this fin to an• {wer for.' During his life,' answered fhe, which was above a dozen of years, I moft folemly affure you I had not. And, confider, Sir, on my behalf, what is in the power of a woman ftript of her reputation, and left deftitute; whether the good-natured world will fuffer fuch a ftray-fheep to return to the road of virtue, even if he was never fo defirous. I protest then I would have chofe it, had it been in my power; but ⚫ neceffity drove me into the arms of Captain Waters, with whom, though ftill unmarried, I lived as a wife for many years, and went by his name. I parted with this gentleman at Worcester, on his march against the

rebels, and it was then I accidentally met with Mr Jones, who refcued me from the hands of a villain. indeed he is the worthieft of men. No young gentleman of his age is, I believe, freer from vice, and few have the twentieth part of his virtues; nay, whatever 'vices he hath had, I am firmly perfuaded he hath now iaken a refolution to abandon them." I hope he hath," cries Allworthy, and I hope he will preferve that refolution. I must fay, I have ftill the fame hopes with regard to yourself. The world, I do agree, are apt to be too unmerciful on these occafions; yet time and 'perfeverance will get the better of this their difinclination, as I may call it, to pity: for though they are not, like heaven, ready to receive a penitent finner; yet a continued repentance will at length obtain mercy even with the world. This you may be affured of, Mrs Waters, that whenever I find you are fincere in fuch good intentions, you fhall want no affiftance in my power to • make them effectual."

Mrs Waters fell now upon her knees before him, and, in a flood of tears, made him many moft paffionate acknowlegments of his goodness, which, as fhe truly faid, favoured more of the divine than human nature.

Allworthy raised her up, and fpoke in the most tender manner, making ufe of every expreffion which his invention could fuggeft to comfort her, when he was interrupted by the arrival of Mr Dowling, who, upon his first entrance, feeing Mrs Waters, ftarted, and appeared in fome confufion; from which he foon recovered himfelf as well as he could, and then faid, he was in the utmost hafte to attend counfel at Mr Weftern's lodgings; but however, thought it his duty to call and acquaint him with the opinion of counfel, upon the cafe which he had before told him, which was, that the conversion of the monies in that cafe could not be questioned in a criminal cause, but that an action of trover might be brought, and if it appeared to the jury to be the monies of plaintiff,, that plaintiff would recover a verdict for the value.

Allworthy without making any anfwer to this, bolted » the door, and then advancing with a ftern look to Dow ling, he faid, Whatever be your hafte, Sir, I must first

receive an anfwer to fome queftions. Do you know this lady? That lady, Sir?' anfwered Dowling.. with great hefitation. Allworthy then with the most. folemn voice, faid, Look you, Mr Dowling, as you va

lue my favour, or your continuance a moment longerin my fervice, do not hesitate, nor prevaricate; but anfwer faithfully and truly to every queftion I afk.-• Do you know this lady ?

6

6.

own lodgings.

Upon

Yes,. Sir,' faid Dow.. Where, Sir? At her what_bufinefs did you go.

thither, Sir, and who fent you? I went, Sir, to in quire, Sir, about Mr Jones."

4

And who fent you to

inquire about him? Who, Sir? why, Sir, Mr Blifil fent me.' And what did you fay to the lady con-cerning that matter? Nay, Sir, it is impoffible to recollect every word.' Will you pleafe, Madam, to affit the gentleman's memory He told me, Sir," faid Mrs Waters, that if Mr Jones. had murdered my hufband, I fhould be affifted with any money I wanted to carry on the profecution, by a very worthy gentleman,. who was well apprifed what a villain. I had to deal with.. Thefe, I can fafely fwear, were the very words he spoke.'- Were thefe the words, Sir? faid Allworthy. I cannot charge my memory exactly,' cries Dowling, But I believe I did fpeak to that purpofe. And did Mr Blifil order you to fay fo? I am fure, Sir, I fhould not have gone on my own. account, nor have willingly exceeded my authority in matters of this kind. If I faid fo, I must have fo underflood Mr Blifil's inftructions. Look you, Mr Dow ling,' faid Allworthy, I promife you before this lady, that whatever you have done in this affair by Mr Blifil's order, I will forgive; provided you now tell metrialy the truth: for I believe what you fay, that you would not have afted of your own accord, and without authority in this matter. -Mr Blifil then likewife fent you to examine the two fellows at Alderfgate? • He did, Sir,' Well, and what inftructions did he then give you? Recollect as well as you can, and tell me, as near as poffible, the very words he used.'

6

Why

Sir, Mr Blifil fent me to find out the perfons who were eye-witnefes of this fight. He faid he feared they