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my life with a better will.' Here Jones interferred, and faid, He had confidered the matter better, and would if Mr Allworthy pleased, be himself the meffenger. know, fays he, already enough of your pleasure, Sir, and I beg leave to acquaint him with it by my own words. Let me befeech you, Sir,' added he, to • reflect on the dreadful confequences of driving him to violent and fudden defpair. How unfit, alas! is this poor man to die in his prefent fituation.' This fuggeftion had not the leaft effect on Mrs Miller. She left the room, crying, You are too good, Mr Jones, infinitely too good to live in this world.' But it made a deeper impreflion on Allworthy. My good child,' faid he, I am equally aftonished at the goodness of your heart, and the quicknefs of your understanding. Heaven indeed forbid that this wretch fhould be deprived of any means or time for repentance: that would be a fhocking confideration indeed. Go to him, therefore, and ufe your own difcretion; yet do not flatter him with any hopes of my forgivenefs; for I fhall never forgive villainy farther than my religion obliges, and that extends not either to our bounty or our converfation.'

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Jones went up to Blifil's room, whom he found in a fituation which moved his pity, though it would have raised a less amiable paffion in many beholders. He caft himself on his bed, where he lay abandoning himself to despair, and drowned in tears; not in fuch tears as flow from contrition, and wash away guilt from minds which have been feduced or furprifed into it unawares, against the bent of their natural difpofitions, as will fometimes happen from human frailty, even to the good; no, thefe tears were fuch as the frighted thief fheds in his cart, and are indeed the effect of that concern which the most favage natures are feldom deficient in feeling for themfelves.

It would be unpleasant and tedious to paint this fcene in full length; let it fuffice to fay, that the behaviour of Jones was kind to excefs. He omitted nothing which his invention could fupply, to raife and comfort the drooping fpirits of Blifil, before he communicated to him the refolution of his uncle, that he muft quit the

houfe that evening. He offered to furnish him with any money he wanted, affured him of his hearty forgiveness of all he had done against him, that he would endeavour to live with him hereafter as a brother, and would leave nothing unattempted to effectuate a reconciliation with his uncle.

Blifl was at firft fallen and filent, balancing in his mind whether he fhould yet deny all but finding at laft the evidence too ftrong againit him, he betock himfelf at laft to confeffion. He then afked pardon of his brother in the most vehement manner, proftrated himfelf on the ground, and kiffed his feet in fhort, he was now as remakably mean, as he had been before remarkably wicked.

Jones could not fo far check his difdain, but that it a little difcovered itfelf in his countenance at this extreme fervility. He raifed his brother the moment he could from the ground, and advised him to bear his afflictions more like a man; repeating at the fame time his promises, that he would do all in his power to leffen them: for which Blifil making many profeffions of his unworthiness, poured forth a profufion of thanks and then he having declared he would immediately depart to another lodging, Jones returned to his uncle.

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Among other matters, Allworthy now acquainted Jones with the difcovery which he made concerning the 500 bank-notes. I have,' faid he, already confulted a law" yer, who tells me, to my great aftonishment, that there is no punishment for a fraud of this kind. Indeed, ⚫ when I confider the black ingratitude of this fellow toward you, I think a highwayman, compared to him, is an innocent perfon.'

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Good Heaven" fays Jones, is it poffible?—I am fhocked beyond measure at this news. I thought there " was not an honefter fellow in the world.The temp

tation of fuch a fum was too great for him to withfland; for fmaller matters have come fafe to me thro his hand. Indeed, my dear uncle, you must fuffer me to call it weakness rather than ingratitude; for I am convinced the poor fellow loves me, and hath done me fome kindneffes, which I can never forget: nay, I believe he hath repented of this very act; for it is not

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above a day or two ago, when my affairs feemed in a moft defperate fituation, that he vifited me in my confinement, and offered me any money I wanted. Con fider, Sir, what a temptation to a man who hath tafted fuch bitter diftrefs it must be, to have a fum in his poffeffion which must put him and his family beyond any future poffibility of fuffering the like.

Child,' cries Allworthy, you carry this forgiving temper too far. Such mistaken mercy is not only • weakness, but borders on injuftice, and is very pernicious to fociety, as it encourages vice. The difhonefty of this fellow I might perhaps have pardoned, bat never his ingratitude. And give me leave to fay, when we fuffer any temptation to atone for difhonefty itself, we are as candid and merciful as we ought to be; and fo far, I confefs, I have gone; for I have often pitied the fate of a highwayman, when I have been on the grand jury; and have more than once applied to the judge on the behalf of fuch as have had any mitigating circumftances in their cafe; but when difhonefty is attended with any blacker crime, fuch as cruelty, murder, ingratitude, or the like, compaffion and forgivenefs then become faults. I am convinced the fellow is a villain, and he fhall be punished; at least as far as I can punish him.”

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This was fpoke with fo ftern a voice, that Jones did not think proper to make any reply: befides, the hour appointed by Mr Weftern now drew fo near, that he had barely time left to drefs himself. Here therefore ended the prefent dialogue, and Jones retired to another room, where Partridge attended, according to order, with his cloaths.

Partridge had fcarce feen his mafter fince the happy difcovery. The poor fellow was unable either to contain or exprefs his tranfports. He behaved like one frantic, and made almoft as many mistakes while he was dreffing Jones, as I have feen made by Harlequin in dreffing himfelf on the ftage.

His memory, however, was not in the leaft deficient. He recollected how many omens and prefages of this happy event, fome of which he had remarked at the time, but many more he now remembered; nor did he omitt

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the dreams he had dreamt the evening before his meeting with Jones; and concluded with faying, I always told your Honour fomething boded in my mind, that you would one time or other have it in your power to make my fortune.' Jones affured him that this bodding fhould as certainly be verified with regard to him, as all the other omens had been to himfelf; which did not a little add to all the raptures which the poor fellow had already conceived on account of his mafter.

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Approaching fill nearer to the end.

ONES being now completely dreffed, attended his uncle to Mr Weitern's. He was indeed one of the fineft figures ever beheld, and his perfon alone would have charmed the greater part of woman-kind; but we hope it hath already appeared in this hiftory, that nature, when fhe formed him, did not totally rely, as fe fometimes doth, on this merit only, to recommend her work.

Sophia, who, angry as he was, was likewife set forth to the best advantage, for which I leave my female readers to account, appeared fo extremely beautiful, that even Allworthy, when he faw her, could not forbear whispering Weffern, that he believed fhe was the fineft creature in the world. To which Western anfwered in a whisper overheard by all prefent, So much the better for Tom; for d-n me if he fhan't ha the toufling her." Sophia was all over fcarlet at these words, while Tom's countenance was altogether as pale, and he was almoft ready to fink from his chair.

The Tea-table was fcarce removed, before Western Jugged Allworthy out of the room, telling him, he had bufinefs of confequence to impart, and muft fpeak to him that inftant in private before he forgot it.

The lovers were now alone, and it will, I queftion not appear ftrange to many readers, that thofe who had fo much to fay to one another when danger and difficulty attended their converfation; and who feemed fo eager to rush into each others arms when so many bars lay in their way, now that with fafety they were at liberty to

fay or do whatever they pleafed, fhould both remain for fome time filent and motionless: infomuch that a ftranger of moderate fagacity might have well concluded they were mutually indifferent; but fo it was, however strange it may feem; both fat with their eyes caft downwards on the ground, and for fome minutes continued in perfect filence.

Mr Jones during this interval, attempted once or twice to fpeak, but was abfolutely incapable, muttering only, or rather fighing out fome broken words; when Sophia at length, partly out of pity to him, and partly to turn the difcourfe from the fubject which the knew well enough he was endeavouring to open, faid,

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Sure, Sir, you are the most fortunate man in the world in this difcovery.' And can you, really, Ma• dam, think me fo fortunate,' faid Jones, fighing, while I have incured your difpleafure ? Nay, Sir,' fays fhe, as to that, you best know wheher you have deferved it.' Indeed, Madam,' answered he, are as well apprifed of all my demerits. has acquainted you with the whole truth. phia, am I never to hope for forgiveness ?

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you yourfelf Mrs Miller O! my SoI think, • Mr Jones,' faid fhe, I may almoft depend on your own juftice, and leave it to yourfelf to pafs fentence on your • own conduct.'- -Alas! Madam,' answered he, mercy, and not juftice, which I implore at your hands. Juftice I know muft condemn me.- -Yet not for the letter I fent to lady Bellafton. Of that I most folemnly declare, you have had a true account." He then infitted much on the fecurity given him by Nightingale, of a fair pretence for breaking off, if, contrary to their expectations her lady fhip fhould have accepted his offer; but confeffed, that he had been guilty of a great indifcretion to put fuch a letter as that into her power, which,' faid he, I have dearly paid for, in the effect it had up6 on you.' I do not, I cannot,' fays fhe, believe otherwife of that letter than you would have me. My conduct, I think, fhews you clearly I do not believe there is much in that. And yet, Mr Jones, have I not enough to refent? After what paft at Upton, fo foon to engage in a new amour with another woman, while I fancied, and you pretended, your heart was bleeding

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