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character of a libertine, that fhe abfolutely filenced me., I often attempted to excufe you; but the juft nefs of her accufation flew in my face. Upon my honour fhe is a lovely woman, and one of the sweetest and most fenfible " creatures I ever faw. I could almoft have kiffed her for ' one expreffion she made ufe of. It was a fentiment wor'thy of Seneca, or of a bishop." "I once fancied, Ma"dam," faid fhe, "I had difcovered great goodness of heart in Mr Jones, and for that I own I had a fincere "efteem; but an entire profligacy of manners will cor. 66 rupt the best heart in the world; and all which a good "natured libertine can expect is, that we fhould mix "fome grains of pity with our contempt and abhor66 rence. She is an angelic creature, that is the truth 'O Mrs Miller,' answered Jones, can I bear to think I have loft fuch an angel 'Loft! no,' cries Mrs Miller; I hope you have not loft her yet.

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folve to leave fuch vicious courfes, and you may yet have hopes; nay, if she should remain inexorable, there is another young lady, a fweet pretty young lady, and a fwinging fortune, who is abfolutely dying for love of · you. I heard of it this very morning, and I told it to Mifs Weftern; nay, I went a little beyond the truth ✦ again, for I told her you had refused her; but indeed I knew you would refuse her.-And here I must give you a little comfort when I mentioned the young lady's name, who is no other than the pretty widow Hunt, I thought he turned pale; but when I faid you had refufed her, I will be fworn her face was all over fcarlet in an inftant; and thefe were her very words, "I will "not deny but that I believe he has fome affection for "" me."

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Here the converfation was interrupted by the arrival of Western, who could no longer be kept out of the room, even by the authority of Allworthy himself; tho' this, as we have often feen, had a wonderful power over him.

Weftern immediately went up to Jones, crying out, My old friend Tom, I am glad to fee thee with all my heart. All paft must be forgotten. I could not intend any affront to thee, becaufe, as Allworthy here knows, nay, doft know it thyself, I took thee for anc

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ther perfon; and where a body means no harm, what fignifies a hafty word or two? One Chriftian muft for get and forgive another.' I hope, Sir,' faid Jones, I fhall never forget the many obligations I have had " to you; but as for any offence towards me, I declare I am an utter ftranger.'. 'A't,' fays Western, then give me thy fift; a't as hearty an honeft cock as any in the kingdom. Come along with me; I'll carry thee to thy mistress this moment.' Here Allworthy interpofed; and the fquire being unable to prevail either with the uncle or nephew, was, after fome litigation, obliged to confent to delay introducing Jones to Sophia till the afternoon; at which time Allworthy, as well in compaffion to Jones as in compliance with the eager defires of Western, was prevailed upon to promise to attend at the

tea-table.

The converfation which now ensued was pleafant enough; and with which, had it happened earlier in our history, we would have entertained our reader; but as we have now leifure only to attend to what is very material, it shall fuffice to fay, that matters being entirely adjusted as to the afternoon-vifit, Mr Western again returned home.

CHA P. XI.

The history draws nearer to a conclufion.

HEN Mr Weftern was departed, Jones began to inform Mr Allworthy and Mrs Miller, that his liberty had been procured by two noble lords, who, together with two furgeons, and a friend of Mr Nightingale's, had attended the magiftrate by whom he had been committed, and by whom, on the furgeon's oath that the wounded perfon was out of all manner of danger from his wound, he was difcharged.

One only of these lords, he faid, he had ever feen before, and that no more than once; but the other had greatly furprifed him, by afking his pardon for an offence he had been guilty of towards him, occafioned, he faid, entirely by his ignorance who he was.

Now, the reality of the cafe, with which Jones was not acquainted till afterwards, was this; the lieutenant

whom Lord Fellamar had employed, according to the advice of Lady Bellafton, to prefs Jones, as a vagabond, into the fea-fervice, when he came to report to his Lordfhip the event which we have before feen, fpoke very favourably of the behaviour of Mr Jones on all accounts, and ftrongly affured that Lord, that he muft have mistaken the perfon; for that Jones was certainly a gentleman: infomuch that his Lordfhip, who was ftrictly a man of honour, and would by no means have been guilty of an action which the world in general would have condemned, began to be much concerned for the advice which he had taken.

Within a day or two after this Lord Fellamar happened to dine with the Irish peer, who, in a converfation upon the duel, acquainted his company with the character of Fitzpatrick; to which indeed he did not do ftrict juftice, efpecially in what related to his lady. He faid he was the

moft innocent and moft injured woman alive, and that, from compaffion alone, he had undertaken her caufe. He then declared an intention of going the next morning to Fitzpatrick's lodgings, in order to prevail with him, if poffible, to confent to a feparation from his wife, who, the peer faid, was in apprehenfions for her life, if the fhould ever return to be under the power of her husband. Lord Fellamar agreed to go with him, that he might fatisfy himfelf more concerning Jones, and the circumftances of the duel; for he was by no means eafy concerning the part he had acted. The moment his Lordfhip gave a hint of his readiness to affift in the delivery of the lady, it was eagerly embraced by the other nobleman, who depended much on the authority of Lord Fellamar, as he thought it would greatly contribute to awe Fitzpatrick into a compliance; and perhaps he was in the right; for the poor Irishman no fooner faw thefe noble peers had undertaken the cause of his wife, than he fubmitted, and articles of feparation were foon drawn up, and figned between the parties.

Fitzpatrick had been fo well fatisfied by Mrs Waters concerning the innocency of his wife with Jones at Upton, or perhaps from fome other reafons was now be come fo indifferent to that matter, that he fpoke highly in favour of Jones to Lord Fellamar, took all the blame

upon himself, and faid the other had behaved very much like a gentleman and a man of honour; and upon that Lord's further inquiry concerning Mr Jones, Fitzpatrick told him he was nephew to a gentleman of very great fashion and fortune, which was the account he had just received from Mrs Waters, after her interview with Dowling.

Lord Fellamar now thought it behoved him to do every thing in his power to make fatisfaction to a gentleman whom he had fo grofsly injured, and without any confideration of rivalship, (for he had now given over all thoughts of Sophia), determined to procure Mr Jones's liberty, being satisfied, as well from Fitzpatrick as his furgeon, that the wound was not mortal: he therefore prevailed with the Irish peer to accompany him to the place where Jones was confined, to whom he behaved as we have already related.

When Allworthy returned to his lodgings, he immediately carried Jones into his room, and then acquainted him with the whole matter, as well what he had heard from Mrs Waters, as what he had difcovered from Mr Dowling.

Jones expreffed great aftonishment, and no lefs concern at this account, but without making any comment or obfervation upon it. And now a meffage was brought from Mr Blifil, defiring to know if his uncle was at leifure, that he might wait upon him. Allworthy started and turned pale, and then, in a more paffionate tone than I believe he had ever ufed before, bid the fervant tell Bli he knew him nɔt. 'Confider, dear Sir,' cries Jones, in a trembling voice.- I have confidered,' anfwered Allworthy, and you yourself fhall carry my meffage to the villain.--No one can carry him the fentence of his own ruin fo properly, as the man whofe ruin he hath fo villainously contrived.'—' Pardon me, dear Sir,' faid Jones; " a moment's reflection

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will, I am fure, convince you of the contrary. What might perhaps be but juftice from another tongue, would from mine be infult: and to whom?-my own brother, and your nephew.-- -Nor did he ufe me fo barbarously.- -Indeed that would have been more inexcufeable than any thing he hath done. Fortune may

VOL. III.

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tempt men of no very bad difpofitions to injuftice; but infults proceed only from black and rancorous minds, and have no temptations to excufe them.Let me befeech you, Sir, to do nothing by him in the prefent height of your anger. Confider, my dear uncle, I was not myfelf condemned unheard.' Allworthy food filent a moment, and then embracing Jones, he faid, with tears gufhing from his eyes, O my child! to what goodnefs have I been fo long blind!'

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Mrs Miller entering the room at that moment, after a gentle rap, which was not perceived, and feeing Jones in the arms of his uncle, the poor woman, in an agony of joy, fell upon her knees, and burft forth into the most ecftatic thanksgivings to Heaven, for what had happened. Then running to Jones, fhe embraced him eagerly, crying, My deareft friend, I wish you joy a thousand and a thousand times of this bleffed day;' and next Mr Allworthy himfelf received the fame congratulations. To which he answered, Indeed, indeed, Mrs Miller, I

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am beyond expreffion happy.' Some few more raptures having paffed on all fides, Mrs Miller defired them both to walk down to dinner in the parlour, where fhe faid there was a very happy set of people affembled; being indeed no other than Mr Nightingale and his bride, and his coufin Harris with her bridegroom.

Allworthy excufed himfelf from dining with the company, faying he had ordered fome little thing for him and his nephew in his own apartment; for that they had much private bufinefs to difcourfe of; but would not refift mifing the good woman, that both he and Jones would make part of her fociety at fupper.

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Mrs Miller then afked what was to be done with Blifil; for indeed,' fays fhe, I cannot be easy while fuch a villain is in my houfe. Allworthy anfwered, He was as uneafy as herfelf on the fame account. •O! cries fhe, if that be the cafe, leave the matter to me; < I'll foon fhew him the outside of my doors, I warrant you. Here are two or three lufty fellows below stairs.' There will be no need of any violence,' cries Allworthy; if you will carry him a meffage from me, he will, I am convinced, depart of his own accord. Will I?' faid Mrs Miller, I never did any thing in

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