might be tampered with by Mr Jones, or fome of his friends. He faid, blood required blood; and that not only all who concealed a murder, but those who omitted any thing in their power to bring him to justice, were sharers in his guilt. He faid, he found you was very defirous of having the villain brought to juftice, though it was not proper you fhould appear in it.'He did fo? faid Allworthy. Yes, Sir,' cries Dowling, I fhould not, I am fure, have proceeded fuch lengths for the fake of any other perfon living but your Worship. What lengths, Sir? faid Allworthy.Nay, Sir,' cries Dowling, I would not have your Worfhip think I would, on any account, be guilty of fubornation of perjury: but there are two ways of delivering evidence. I told them, therefore, that if any offers had been made them on the other fide, they fhould re fufe them, and that they might be affured they should lofe nothing by being honeft men, and telling the truth. I faid, we were told that Jones had affaulted the gentle• man first, and that if that was the truth, they should • declare it ; and I did give them fome hints that they fhould be no lofers.? I think you went lengths in-deed,' cries Allworthy. Nay, Sir,' answered Dowling, I am fure I did not defire them to tell an untruth nor fhould I have faid what I did, unlefs it had been to oblige you. You would not have thought I believe,' fays Allworthy, to have obliged me, had you known that this Mr Jones was my own nephew.'-'I am fure, Sir,' answered he, it did not become me to take 4 any notice of what I thought you defired to conceal.'How!' cries Allworthy, and did you know it then?

Nay, Sir' anfwered Dowling, if your Worfhip bids me fpeak the truth, I am fure I fhall do it.indeed, • Sir, I did know it; for they were almoft the last words which Madam Blifil ever fpoke, when fhe mentioned to me as I ftood alone by her bed-fide, when the delivered me the letter I brought your Worship from • her.'-What letter? cries Allworthy. The letter, Sir,' anfwered Dowling, which I brought from Salifbury, and which I delivered into the hands of Mr 4 Blifil. O Heavens!' cries Allworthy, Well, and

what were the words? what did my fifter fay to you

?

She took me by the hand,' answered he, and as flre • delivered me the letter, faid, I fcarce know what I "have written. Tell my brother, Mr Jones is his ne"phew He is my fon.Blefs him,' fays fhe, and then fell backwards, as if dying away. I prefently called in the people, and fhe never fpoke more to me, and died within a few minutes afterwards.'- Allworthy ftood a minute filent, lifting up his eyes, and then turning to Dowling faid,- How came you, Sir, not to deliver me this meffage?' Your Worfhip,' anfwered he, • must remember that you was at that time ill in bed; and being in a violent hurry, as indeed I always am, • 1 delivered the letter and message to Mr Blifil, who told me he would carry them both to you, which he hath fince told me he did; and that your Worship, partly out of friendship to Mr Jones, and partly out of regard to your fifter, would never have it mentioned, and did ⚫ intend to conceal it from the world; and therefore, Sir, if you had not mentioned it to me firft, I am certain I fhould not have thought it belonged to me to fay any thing of the matter, either to your Worship or any other < perfon.'

We have remarked fome where already, that it is poffible for a man to convey a lie in the words of truth; this was the cafe at prefent: but Blifil had in fact told Dowling what he now related, but had not impofed upon him, nor indeed had imagined that he was able fo to do. In reality, the promises which Blifil had made to Dowling, were the motives which had induced him to fecrecy; and as he very plainly faw Blifil would not be able to keep them, he thought proper now to make this confeffion, which the promises of forgivenefs, joined to the threats, the voice, the looks of Allworthy, and the difcoveries he had made before, extorted from him, who was befides taken unawares, and had no time to confider of evafions..

Allworthy appeared well fatisfied with this relation, and having injoined on Dowling ftrict filence as to what had paft, conducted that gentleman himself to the door, left he fhould fee Blifil, who was returned to his cham ber, where he exulted in the thoughts of his last deceit

on his uncle, and little fufpected what had fince paffed below ftairs.

As Allworthy was returning to his room, he met Mrs Miller in the entry, who, with a face all pale and full of terror, faid to him, O Sir! I find this wicked wo6 man hath been with you, and you know all; yet do not on this account abandon the poor young man. Confider, Sir, he was ignorant it was his own mother; and the discovery itself will most probably break his heart ' without your unkindnefs.'

Madam,' fays Allworthy, am under fuch an aftonishment at what I have heard, that I am really unable to fatisfy you; but come with me into my room. Indeed, Mrs Miller, I have made surprising discoveries, and you fhall foon know them.'

The poor woman followed him trembling; and now Allworthy going up to Mrs Waters, took her by the hand, and then turning to Mrs Miller, faid, What re'ward fhall I beftow upon this gentlewoman for the fervi" ces fhe hath done me?-O! Mrs Miller, you have a thousand times heard me call the young man, to whom you are fo faithful a friend, my fon. Little did I then think he was indeed related to me at all.- -Your 'friend, Madam, is my nephew; he is the brother of that wicked viper which I have fo long nourished in my bofom.- She will herfelf tell you the whole story, and how the youth came to pafs for her fon. Indeed, Mrs Miller, I am convinced he hath been wronged, and that I have been abused; abufed by one whom you too justly fufpected of being a villain. He is, in truth, the worst of villains.'

The joy which Mrs Miller now felt, bereft her of the power of fpeech, and might, perhaps, have deprived her of her fenfes, if not of life, had not a friendly shower of tears come feasonably to her relief. At length recovering fo far from her transport as to be able to speak, fhe cried, And is my dear Mr Jones then your nephew, Sir, and not the fon of this lady? and are your eyes opened to him at laft? and fhall I live to see him as happy as he deserves?' He certainly is my nephew,' fays Allworthy, and I hope all the reft.'- And is

'

this dear good woman the perfon,' cries fhe, to whom

all this difcovery is owing! She is, indeed,' fays Allworthy.- Why then,' cried Mrs Miller, upon her knees, may Heaven fhower down its choiceft bleffings upon her head; and for this one good action forgive her all her fins, be they never fo many.'

Mrs Waters then informed them, that the believed Jones would very shortly be releafed; for that the furgeon was gone, in company with a nobleman, to the juffice who committed him, in order to certify that Mr Fitzpatrick was out of all manner of danger, and to procure the pri foner his liberty.

Allworthy faid, he fhould be glad to find his nephew there at his return home; but that he was then obliged to go on fome matters of confequence. He then called to a fervant to fetch him a chair, and presently left the two ladies together.

Mr Blifil hearing the chair ordered, came down stairs to attend upon his uncle; for he never was deficient in fuch acts of duty. He asked his uncle if he was going out? which is a civil way of afking a man whither he is going to which the other making no anfwer, he again defired to know when he would be pleafed to return? Allworthy made no answer to this neither, till he was juft getting into his chair, and then turning about, he faid, Harkee, Sir, do you find out, before my return, the letter which your mother fent me on her death'bed.' Allworthy then departed, and left Blifil in a fituation to be envied only by a man who is just going to be hanged.

6

A

CHA P. IX.

A further continuation.

LLWORTHY took an opportunity, whilft he was in the chair, of reading the letter from Jones to Sophia, which Western delivered him; and there were some expreffions in it concerning himself, which drew tears from his eyes. At length he arrived at Mr Weftern's, and was introduced to Sophia.

When the first ceremonies were paft, and the gentleman and lady had taken their chairs, a filence of fome minutes enfued, during which the latter, who had been

prepared for the vifit by her father, fat playing with her fan, and had every mark of confufion both in her countenance and behaviour. At length Allworthy, who was himself a little difconcèrted, began thus: I am afraid, Mifs Western, my family hath been the occafion of giving you fome uneafinefs: to which, I fear, I have innocently become more inftrumental than I intended. Be affured, Madam, had I at first known how disagreeable the proposals had been, I should not have fuffered you to have been fo long perfecuted. I hope, therefore, you will not think the defign of this vifit is to • trouble you with any further folicitations of that kind, 'but entirely to relieve you from them.'

Sir,' faid Sophia, with a little modeft hesitation, this behaviour is moft kind and generous, and fuch as I could expect only from Mr Allworthy: but as you have been fo kind to mention this matter, you will pardon me for faying it hath indeed given me great uneafinefs, and hath been the occafion of my fuffering much ⚫ cruel treatment from a father, who was, till that unhappy affair, the tendereft and fondeft of all parents. I am

་

convinced, Sir, you are too good and generous to refent my refufal of your nephew. Our inclinations are not in < our own power; and whatever may be his merit, I cannot force them in his favour.' I affure you, most amiable young lady,' faid Allworthy, I am capable of no fuch refentment, had the perfon been my own fon, and had I entertained the highest esteem for him. For you fay truly, Madam, we cannot force our inclinations, much lefs can they be directed by another.' Oh! Sir,' anfwered Sophia, every word you fpeak proves you to deferve that good, that great, that benevolent character the whole world allows you. I affure you, Sir, nothing lefs than the certain profpect of future mifery could have made me refift the commands of my father.' 'I fincerely believe you, Madam,' replied Allworthy, and I heartily congratulate you on your prudent forefight, ince by fo justifiable a refiftance you have avoided mifery indeed. You fpeak now, Mr Allworthy,' cries fhe, with a delicacy which few men are capable of feeling; but furely in my opinion, to lead our lives with one to whom we are indifferent, muit be a state of wretched