ed affrighted Partridge. Who was it gave you autho ⚫rity to mention the ftory of the robbery, or that the . man you faw here was the perfon? I, Sir? cries Partridge. Now don't be guilty of a falfehood in de nying it,' faid Jones,—— If I did mention fuch a matter,' answers Partridge, I am fure I thought no harm : ' for I should not have opened my lips, if it had not been < to his own friends and relations, who, I imagined ⚫ would have let it go no farther.' But I have a much

6

heavier charge against you,' cries Jones, than this. How durft you, after all the precautions I gave you, ' mention the name of Mr Allworthy in this house?" Partridge denied that he ever had, with many oaths. How elfe,' faid Jones, 'fhould Mrs Miller be acquaint⚫ed that there was any connection between him and me? And it is but this moment fhe told me, the respected 'me on his account.' Lord, Sir,' faid Partridge, I defire only to be heard out; and to be fure, never was any thing fo unfortunate; hear me but out, and you will own how wrongfully you have accufed me. When Mrs Honour came down ftairs laft night, fhe met me in the entry, and asked me when my mafter had heard from Mr Allworthy; and to be fure Mrs Miller heard the very words; and the moment Madam Honour was · gone, the called me into the parlour to her. Mr Partridge,' fays fhe, what Mr Allworthy is that the "gentlewoman mentioned? Is it the great Mr Allwor"thy of Somersetshire? Upon my word, Madam, fays I,

I know nothing of the matter. Sure,' fays fhe, 'your "master is not that Mr Jones I have heard Mr Allworthy. "talk of? Upon my word, Madam, fays I, I know nothing of the matter. Then," fays fhe to her daughter Nancy, fays fhe, as fure as ten pence, this is the very "young gentleman, and he agrees exactly with the fquire's defcription.' The Lord above knows who it was told her; for I am the arranteft villain that ever • walked upon two legs, if ever it came out of my 'mouth. I promise you, Sir, I can keep a fecret when I " am defired. Nay, Sir, fo far was I from telling her any thing about Mr Allworthy, that I told her the very direct contrary for though I did not contradict it at that moment, yet, as fecond thoughts, they fay, are

beft, fo when I came to confider that fome body muft have informed her, thinks I to myfelf, I will put an end to the ftory; and fo I went back again into the parlour fome time afterwards, and, fays I, upon my word, fays I, whoever, fays I, told you that this gentleman was Mr Jones, that is, fays I, that this Mr Jones was that Mr Jones, told you a confounded lie and I beg, fays I, you will never mention any fuch matter, fays I for my mafter, fays I, will think I must have told you fo; and I defy any body in the house, ever to fay I mentioned any fuch word. To be certain, Sir, it is a wonderful thing, and I have been thinking with myfelf ever fince, how it was fhe came to know it; not but I faw an old woman here t'other day a begging at the door, who looked as like her we faw in Warwick'fhire, that caused all that mischief to us. To be fure

6

it is never good to pafs by an old woman without giving her fomething, especially if the looks at you; for all the world fhall never perfuade me but that they have a 'great power to do mifchief; and to be fure I fhall never fee an old woman again, but I fhall think to myself, Infandum, regina, jubes renovare dolorem.'

The fimplicity of Partridge fet Jones á laughing, and put a final end to his anger, which had indeed feldom any long duration in his mind; and inflead of commenting on his defence, he told him, he intended prefently to leave thofe lodgings, and ordered him to go and endeavour to get him others.

CHA P. IV.

Which we hope will be very attentively perufed by young people of both fexes.

PA

ARTRIDGE had no fooner left Mr Jones, than Mr Nightingale, with whom he had now contracted a great intimacy, came to him, and after a short salutation, faid, So, Tom, I hear you had company very late laft night. Upon my foul, you are a happy fellow, who have not been in town above a fortnight, and can keep chairs waiting at your door till two in the morning.' He then ran on with much common-place raillery of the fame kind, till Jones at laft interrupted him, faying, I

6

fuppofe you have received all this information from Mrs Miller, who hath been up here a little while ago to give me warning. The good woman is afraid, it feems, of the reputation of her daughters.' O fhe is wonderfully nice,' fays Nightingale, upon that account; if you remember, fhe would not let Nancy go with us to the masquerade. Nay, upon my honour, "I think he's in the right of it,' faid Jones; however, I have taken her at her word, and have fent Partridge to look for another lodging.' If you will,' fays Nightingale, we may, I believe, be again together; for, to tell you a fecret, which I defire you won't mention in ← the family, I intend to quit the house to day.'-' What, hath Mrs Miller given you warning too, my friend?" cries Jones. No,' anfwered the other; but the rooms are not convenient enough-Befides, I am grown C weary of this part of the town. I want to be nearer the places of diverfion; fo I am going to Pall-mall.'And do you intend to make a fecret of your going away faid Jones. I promife you,' anfwered Nightingale, I don't intend to bilk my lodgings; but I have a private reafon for not taking a formal leave.'

• Not

fo private, answered Jones; I promife you I have feen it ever fince the fecond day of my coming to the houfe.- -Here will be fome wet eyes on your depar<ture.--Poor Nancy! I pity her, faith!-Indeed, Jack, you have played the fool with that girl.You have given her a longing, which, I am afraid, nothing will ever cure her of.'-Nightingale answered, What the ❝ devil would you have me do? Would you have me marry her to cure her? No,' answered Jones, I would not have had you make love to her, as you have often done in my prefence. I have been aftonished at the blindnefs of her mother in never feeing it.' • Pugh, fee it!' cries Nightingale,what the devil fhould the • fee?' Why fee,' faid Jones, that you have made her daughter diftractedly in love with you. The poor girl cannot conceal it a moment; her eyes are never off from you, and the always colours every time you come into the room. Indeed, I pity her heartily; for the feems to be one of the best natured and honefteft of human creatures.' And fo,' anfwered Nightingale, acVOL. III. G

cording to your doctrine, one muft not amufe one's felf by any common gallantries with women, for fear they fhould fall in love with us.' Indeed, Jack,' faid Jones, you wilfully mifunderstand me; I do not fancy women < are fo apt to fall in love; but you have gone far beyond common gallantries.' What, do you fuppofe," fays Nightingale, that we have been a-bed together? No, upon my honour,' answered Jones very seriously, I do not fuppofe fo ill of you; nay, I will go farther, I do not imagine you have laid a regular premeditated fcheme for the deftruction of the quiet of a poor little creature, or have even foreseen the confequence: for I am fure thou art a very good-natured fellow; and fuch a one can never be guilty of a cruelty of that kind: but at the fame time you have pleafed your own vanity, without confidering that this poor girl was made a facrifice to it; and while you have had no defign but of amufing an idle hour, you have actually given her reafon to flatter herself, that you had the most serious defigns in her favour. Prithee, Jack, anfwer me honeftly; to what ⚫ have tended all thofe elegant and luscious defcriptions of happinefs arifing from violent and mutual fondness; all thofe warm profeffions of tenderness, and generous, difinterested love? Did you imagine fhe would not apply them? Or, fpeak, ingenuously, did not you intend the fhould Upon my foul, Tom,' cries Nightingale, I did not think this was in thee. Thou wilt make an admirable parfon.-So I fuppofe you would not go to bed to Nancy, now, if fhe would let you ? No,' cries Jones, 6 I be d-n'd if I would.' Tom, Tom,' anfwered Nightingale, laft night; remember last night,

may

-When every eye was clos'd, and the pale moon,
And filent fars fhone confcious of the theft?

Lookee, Mr Nightingale,' faid Jones, I am no canting hypocrite, nor do I pretend to the gift of chastity, more than my neighbours. I have been guilty with women, I own it; but am not confcious that I have ever injured any.- -Nor would I, to procure pleasure to myself, be knowingly the cause of mifery to any human being.'

Well, well,' faid Nightingale, I believe you, and I am convinced you acquit me of any fuch thing.'

I do, from my heart,' answered Jones, of having • debauched the girl, but not from having gained her af"fections.'

If I have,' faid Nightingale, I am forry for it; but • time and absence will foon wear off fuch impreffions. It is a receipt I must take myself; for to confefs the truth to you-I never liked any girl half fo much in · my whole life; but I must let you into the whole fecret, Tom. My father hath provided a match for me, with a woman I never faw; and fhe is now coming to town, • in order for me to make my addresses to her."

At thefe words Jones burst into a loud fit of laughter; when Nightingale cried Nay, prithee don't turn me • into ridicule. The devil take me if I am not half mad about this matter! My poor Nancy! Oh Jones Jones, I wish I had a fortune in my own poffeffion.'

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I heartily wish you had,' cries Jones; for if this be the cafe, I fincerely pity you both: but furely you don't intend to go away without taking your leave of her?

I would not,' anfwered Nightingale, undergo the pain of taking leave for ten thousand pound; befides, I am convinced, inftead of anfwering any good purpose, it would only ferve to inflame my poor Nancy the more. I beg therefore you would not mention a word of it today, and in the evening, or to-morrow morning, I intend to depart.'

He

Jones promifed he would not; and faid, upon reflection, he thought, as he had determined and was obliged to leave her, he took the most prudent method. then told Nightingale, he fhould be very glad to lodge in the fame houfe with him; and it was accordingly agreed between them, that Nightingale should procure him either the ground floor, or the two pair of stairs; for the young gentleman himself was to occupy that which was between them.

This Nightingale, of whom we shall be presently obliged to fay a little more, was, in the ordinary tranfactions of life, a man of ftrict honour, and what is more rare among young gentlemen of the town, one of strict honesty too; yet in the affairs of love he was fomewhat