lains,' cries Jones, and abufe their lady unjuftly.'—— Ay, to be fure, fervants are always villains, and fo my lady fays, and won't hear a word of it.'' No, I am convinced,' fays Jones, my Sophia is above liftening to fuch bafe fcandal.' Nay, I believe it is no fcandal neither,' cries Honour; at another house?

I

for why fhould fhe meet men -It can never be for any good: for if he had a lawful defign of being courted, as to be fure any lady may lawfully give her company to men 6. upon that account; why, where can be the fenfe'proteft,' cries Jones, I can't hear all this of a lady of fuch honour, and a relation of Sophia; befides, you will distract the poor lady in the next room―― -Let me intreat you to walk with me down ftairs.'- -Nay, Sir, if you won't let me fpeak, I have done.- -Here, Sir, is a letter from my young lady,-what would fome: men give to have this? But, Mr Jones, I think you are not over and above generous, and yet I have heard fome fervants fay-but I am fure you will do me the juftice to own I never faw the colour of your money." Here Jones haftily took the letter, and prefently after flipped fives pieces into her hand. He then returned a thoufand thanks to his dear Sophia in a whisper, and begged her to leave him to read her letter; the prefently departed, not without expreffing much grateful fense of his generofity.

6.

Lady Bellafton now came from behind the curtain. How fhall I defcribe her rage? Her tongue was at first incapable of utterance; but ftreams of fire darted from her eyes, and well indeed they might, for her heart was all in a flame. And now, as foon as her voice found way, instead of expreffing any indignation against Honour or her own fervants, fhe began to attack poor Jones. You fee, faid fhe, what I have facrificed to you, my reputation, my honour, -gone for ever And what return have I found? Neglected, flighted for a country girl, for an idiot.' What neglect, Ma dam, or what flight,' cries Jones, have I been guilty of ?— Mr Jones,' faid the, it is in vain to diffemble; if you will make me eafy, you must entirely give her up; and as a proof of your intention, fhew me the letter. What letter, Madam?' faid Jones. Nay

furely,' faid fhe, you cannot have the confidence to ⚫ deny your having received a letter by the hands of that trollop. And can your Ladyfhip,' cries he, afk of me what I must part with my honour before I grant? • Have I acted in fuch a manner by your Ladyship? Could I be guilty of betraying this poor innocent girl to you, what fecurity could you have that I fhould not act the fame part by yourfelf? A moment's reflection will, I am fure, convince you, that a man with whom the fecrets • of a lady are not safe, must be the most contemptible of • wretches. Very well,' faid fhe, I need not infift on your becoming this contemptible wretch in your own opinion; for the infide of the letter could inform me of nothing more than I know already.. I fee the footing you are upon.'--Here enfued a long converfation, which the reader, who is not too curious, will thank me for not inferting at length. It fhall fuffice, therefore, to inform him, that Lady Bellafton grew more and more pacified, and, at length, believed, or affectedTM to believe, his proteftations, that his meeting with Sophia that evening was merely accidental; and every other matter which the reader already knows, and which as Jones fet before her in the ftrongeft light, it is plain that fhe had in reality no reason to be angry with him.

She was not, however, in her heart, perfectly fatisfied with his refusal to fhew her the letter; fo deaf are we to the cleareft reafon, when it argues against our prevailing paffions. She was, indeed, well convinced, that Sophia poffeffed the "first place in Jones's affections; and yet, haughty and amorous as this lady was, she submitted, at lait, to bear the fecond place; or, to exprefs it more properly in a legal phrafe, was contented with the poffeffion of that of which another woman had the reverfion.

It was at length agreed, that Jones fhould, for the future, visit at the houfe; for that Sophia, her maid, and all the fervants, would place thefe vifits to the account of Sophia; and that the herfelf would be confidered as the perfon impofed upon.

This fcheme was contrived by the lady, and highly relifhed by Jones, who was indeed glad to have a profpect of feeing his Sophia at any rate, and the lady her

felf was not a little pleased with the impofition on Sophia, which Jones, fhe thought, could not poflibly difcover to her for his own fake.

The next day was appointed for the firft vifit, and then, after proper ceremonials, the Lady Bellafton returned

home.

CHA P. III.

Containing various matters.

ONES was no fooner alone, than he eagerly broke open his letter, and read as follows:

Sir, it is impoffible to exprefs what I have fuffered fince you left this houfe; and as I have reason to think you intend coming here again, I have fent Honour, though fo late at night, as the tells me she knows your lodgings, to prevent you. I charge you, by all the regard you have for me, not to think of vifiting here; ⚫ for it will certainly be difcovered; nay, I almost doubt, from fome things which have dropt from her ladyship; that she is not already without fome fufpicion. Something favourable, perhaps, may happen; we must wait with patience; but I once more intreat you, if you have any concern for my cafe, do not think of returning • hither.'

This letter adminiftered the fame kind of confolation to poor Jones, which Job formerly received from his friends. Befides difappointing all the hopes which he promised to himfelf from feeing Sophia, he was reduced to an unhappy. dilemma, with regard to Lady Bellafton; for there are fome certain engagements, which, as he well knew, do very difficultly admit of any excufe for the failure; and to go, after the ftrict prohibition from Sophia, he was not to be forced by any human power. At length, after much deliberation, which during that night fupplied the place of fleep, he determined to feign himself fick: for this fuggefted itfelf as the only means of failing the appointed vifit, without incenfing Lady Bellafton, which he had more than one reason of defiring to avoid.

The first thing, however, which he did in the morning, was to write an answer to Sophia, which he inclofed in one to Honour. He then difpatched another to Lady Bellaften, containing the above-mentioned excuse; and to this he foon received the following anfwer.

I am vexed that I cannot fee you here this afternoon, but more concerned for the occafion: take great care of yourself, and have the beft advice, and I hope there will be no danger.-I am fo tormented all this morning with fools, that I have fcarce a moment's time to write to you. Adieu.

• P. S. I will endeavour to call on you this evening at nine.-Be fure to be alone.'

Mr Jones now received a vifit from Mrs Miller, who, after fome formal introduction, began the following fpeech. I am very forry, Sir, to wait upon you on fuch an occafion; but I hope you will confider the ill confequence which it must be to the reputation of my poor girls, if my houfe fhould once be talked of as a houfe of ill fame. I hope you won't think me therefore guilty of impertinence, if I beg you not to bring any more ladies in at that time of night. The clock had ftruck two before one of them went away.' 'I do affure you, Madam,' faid Jones, the lady who was here laft nigh, and who ftaid the latest (for the other only brought me a letter), is a woman of very great fafhion, and my near relation.' I don't know what fashion fhe is of,' answered Mrs Miller, but I am fure no woman of virtue, unless a very near relation indeed, would vifit a young gentleman at ten at night, and stay four hours in his room with him alone; befides, Sir, the behaviour of her chairmen fhews what fhe was; for they did nothing but make jefts all the evening in the entry, and afked Mr Partridge, in the hearing of my own maid, if Madam intended to stay with his master all night; with a great deal of ftuff not proper to be repeated. I have really a great refpect for you, Mr Jones, upon your own account; nay, I have a very 6. high obligation to you for your generofity to my couIndeed I did not know how very good you had

• fin.

'been till lately. Little did I imagine to what dreadful courfes the poor man's diftrefs had driven him. Little did I think, when you gave me the ten guineas, that you had given them to a highwayman! O heavens! what goodness have you fhewn! How have you preferved this family!--The character which Mr Allworthy hath formerly given me of you, was, I find ftrictly trueAnd indeed if I had no obligation to you, my obligations to him are fuch, that, on his account, I fhould fhew you the utmost refpect in my power.- -Nay, believe me, dear Mr Jones, if my daughters and my own reputa tion were, out of the cafe, I fhould, for your own fake, be forry that fo pretty a young gentleman fhould con⚫ verse with thefe women; but if you are refolved to do it, I muft beg you to take another lodging; for I do not myself like to have fuch things carried on under my roof; but more especially upon the account of my girls, who have little, Heaven knows, befides their characters, to recommend them.' Jones ftarted, and changed colour at the name of Allworthy. Indeed, Mrs Miller,' anfwered he, a little warmly, I do not take this at all kind. I will never bring any flander on your houfe; but I must infift on feeing what company I please in my own room; and if that gives you any offence, I fhall, as foon as I am able, look for another lodging.' I am forry we must part then, Sir,' faid fhe, but I am convinced Mr Allworthy himfelf • would never come within my doors, if he had the leaft fufpicion of my keeping an ill houfe. Very well, Madam,' faid Jones. I hope, Sir,' faid fhe, you are not angry; for I would not for the world offend any of Mr Allworthy's family. I have not flept a wink all night about this matter.' I am forry I have difturbed your reft, Madam,' faid Jones, but I beg you will fend Partridge up to me immediately;' which the promised to do, and then, with a very low courtesy, retired.

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As foon as Partridge arrived, Jones fell upon him in the most outrageous manner. How often,' faid he, to fuffer for your folly, or rather for my own in keeping you? Is that tongue of yours refolved upon < my deftruction?'- What have I done, Sir,' anfwer