pany to a new play, which was to be acted that evening, and which a very large party had agreed to damn, from fome diflike they had taken to the author, who was a friend to one of Mr Nightingale's acquaintance. And this fort of fun, our hero, we are afhamed to confefs would willingly have preferred to the above kind appointment; but his honour got the better of his incli

nation.

Before we attend him to this intended interview with the lady, we think proper to account for both the preceding notes, as the reader may poffibly be not a little furprised at the imprudence of Lady Bellafton in bringing her lover to the very house where her rival was lodged.

First then, the mistress of the house where these lovers had hitherto met, and who had been for fome years a penfioner to that lady, was now become a Methodist, and had that very morning waited upon her ladyfhip; and after rebuking her very feverely for her paft life, had pofitively declared, that fhe would, on no account, be inftrumental in carrying on any of her affairs for the future.

The hurry of fpirits into which this accident threw the lady, made her defpair of poffibly finding any other convenience to meet Jones that evening; but as he began a little to recover from her uneafinefs at the difappointment, fhe fet her thoughts to work, when luckily it came into her head to propofe to Sophia to go to the play, which was immediately confented to, and a proper lady provided for her companion. Mrs Honour was likewife dilpatched with Mrs Etoff on the fame errand of pleasure; and thus her own house was left free for the fafe reception of Mr Jones, with whom the promifed herself two or three hours of uninterrupted converfation, after her return from the place where the dined, which was at a friend's house in a pretty diftant part of the town, near her old place of affignation, where fhe had engaged herself before she was well apprized of the revolution that had happened in the mind and morals of her late confidant.

CHA P. X.

A chapter which, though short, may draw tears from fome

MR

eyes.

R Jones was juft dreffed to wait on Lady Bellafton, when Mrs Miller rapped at his door; and being admitted, very earneftly defired his company below stairs to drink tea in the parlour.

Upon his entrance into the room, fhe presently introduced a person to him, faying, This, Sir, is my coufin, who hath been fo greatly beholden to your goodness, for which he begs to return you his fincereft thanks.'

The man had fcarce entered upon that fpeech which Mrs Miller had fo kindly prefaced, when both Jones and he looking ftedfaftly at each other, fhewed at once the utmoft tokens of furprise. The voice of the latter began inftantly to faulter; and inftead of finishing his fpeech, he funk down into a chair, crying, It is fo, I am convinced it is fo!'

Blefs me, what's the meaning of this!' cries Mrs. Miller, you are not ill, I hope, coufin? Some water a dram this inftant.'

Be not frighted Madam,' cries Jones,
as much need of a dram as your coufin.
ly furprised at this unexpected meeting.
is an acquaintance of mine, Mrs Miller."

I have almoft We are equalYour coufin

An acquaintance!' cried the man. Oh Heaven!" Ay, an acquaintance,' repeated Jones, and an honoured acquaintance too. When I do not love and honour the man who dares venture every thing to preferve his wife and children from inftant deftruction, may I have a friend capable of difowning me in adverfity.' "O you are an excellent young man,' cries Mrs Miller, yes, indeed, poor creature! he hath ventured every thing: if he had not had one of the best of conftitutions, it muft have killed him.'

Coulin,' cries the man, who had now pretty well recovered himself; this is the angel from heaven whom I meant. This is he to whom, before I faw you, I owed the prefervation of my Peggy. He it was to whofe ge

nerofity every comfort, every fupport which I have procured for her was owing. He is indeed the worthieft braveft, nobleft of all human beings. O coufin, I have obligations to this gentleman of fuch a nature!'

• Mention nothing of obligations,' cries Jones eagerly, not a word, I infilt upon it, not a word,' (meaning, I fuppofe, that he would not have him betray the affair of the robbery to any perfon) If by the trifle you have • received from me, I have preferved a whole family, fure pleasure was never bought fo cheap.'

O Sir,' cries the man, I wish you could this inftant fee my houfe. If any perfon had ever a right to the pleafure you mention, I am convinced it is yourself. My coufin tells me, the acquainted you with the distress in which the found us. That, Sir, is all greatly removed, and chiefly by your goodnefs. My children have now a bed to lie on,and they have-they have eternal bleffings reward you for it--they have bread to eat. My little boy is recovered; my wife is out of danger, and I am happy. All, all owing to you, Sir, and to my coufin here, one of the best of women. Indeed, Sir, I muft fee you at my houfe.Indeed my wife mult fee you, and thank you.My children too muit exprefs their gratitude.Indeed, Sir, they are not without a fenfe of their obligation; but what is my feeling when I reflect to whom I owe, that they are now capable of expreffing their gratitude. -O, Sir! the little hearts which you have warmed had now been cold as ice without your affiftance.'

Here Jones attempted to prevent the poor man from proceeding; but indeed the overflowing of his own heart ́ would of itfelf have flopped his words. And now Mrs Miller likewife began to pour forth thankfgivings, as well in her own name as in that of her coufin, and concluded with faying, She doubted not but fuch goodness would meet a glorious reward.

Jones anfwered, He had been fufficiently rewarded already. Your coufin's account, Madam,' faid he, hath given me a fenfation more pleafing than I have ever known. He must be a wretch who is unmoved at hear ing fuch a flory; how tranfporting then mult be the

46

thought of having happily acted a part in this fcene! If there are men who cannot feel the delight of giving happiness to others, I fincerely pity them, as they are incapable of tafting what is, in my opinion, a greater honour, a higher intereft, and a fweeter pleasure than the ambitious, the avaricious, or the voluptuous' man can ever obtain.'

The hour of appointment being now come, Jones was 'forced to take a hafty leave, but not before he had heartily fhaken his friend by the hand, and defired to fee him again as foon as poffible; promifing, that he would himfelf take the firft opportunity of vifiting him at his own house. He then ftept into his chair, and proceeded to Lady Bellafton's greatly exulting in the happiness which he had procured to this poor family; nor could he forbear reflecting without horror on the dreadful confequences which must have attended them, had he liftened rather to the voice of ftrict justice than to that of mercy, when he was attacked on the high road.

Mrs Miller fung forth the praifes of Jones during the whole evening; in which Mr Anderfon, while he itaid, fo paffionately accompanied her, that he was often on the very point of mentioning the circumftances of the robbery. However, he luckily recollected himfelf, and avoided an indifcretion which would have been fo much the greater, as he knew Mrs Miller to be extremely ftrict and nice in her principles. He was likewife well apprifed of the loquacity of this lady; and yet fuch was his gratitude, that it had almoft got the better both of difcretion and fhame, and made him publish that which would have defamed his own character, rather than omit any circumftances which might do the fulleft honour to his benefactor.

M

CHA P. XI.

In which the reader will be furprifed.

R Jones was rather earlier than the time appointed, and earlier than the lady, whofe arrival was hindered not only by the distance of the place where the dined, but by fome other crofs accidents, very vexatious to one in her fituation of mind. He was accordingly

VOL. III.

E

fhewn into the drawing room, where he had been many minutes before the door opened, and in came-no other than Sophia herself, who had left the play before the end of the first act; for this, as we have already faid, being a new play, at which two large parties met, the one to damn, and the other to applaud, a violent uproar, and an engagement between the two parties, had fo terrified our heroine, that he was glad to put herfelf under the protection of a young gentleman, who fafely conveyed her to her chair.

As Lady Bellaflon had acquainted her that she should not be at home till late, Sophia, expecting to find no one in the room, came haftily in, and went directly to a glafs which almoft fronted her, without once looking towards the upper end of the room, where the ftatue of Jones now flood motionlefs.- -In this glafs it was, after contemplating her own lovely face, that the first discovered the faid ftatue; when inftantly turning about, fhe perceived the reality of the vifion: upon which the gave a violent fcream, and fearce preferved herfelf from fainting, till Jones was able to move to her and support her in his

arms.

To paint the looks or thoughts of either of these lovers is beyond my power. As their fenfations, from their mutual filence, may be judged to have been too big for their own utterance, it cannot be fuppofed that I fhould be able to exprefs them and the misfortune is, that few of my readers have been enough in love, to feel by their own hearts what paft at this time in theirs.

:

After a fhort paufe, Jones, with faultering accents, faid I fee, Madam, you are furprised.'

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prifed!' anfwered fhe; Oh heavens! Indeed, I am furprifed. I almoft doubt whether you are the perfon you feem. Indeed,' cries he, my Sophia, pardon me, Madam, for this once calling you fo, I am that very wretched Jones, whom Fortune, after fo many difappointments, hath, at laft, kindly conducted to you. Oh! my Sophia, did you know the thoufand torments I have fuffered in this long, fruitless purfuit.'- - Purfuit of whom?' faid Sophia, a little recollecting herfelf, and affuming a referved air.- Can you be fo cruel to afk that question?' cries Jones, need I fay of you??