"And could I ever have imagined that you had known my Sophia!"-"I wish," says the landlady, "you knew half so much of her. What would you have given to have sat by her bed side? What a delicious neck she hath! Her lovely limbs have stretched themselves in that very bed you now lie in."-"Here!" cries Jones: "hath Sophia ever laid here?""Ay, ay, here; there in that very bed," says the landlady: "where I wish you had her this moment; and she may wish so too for any thing I know to the contrary, for she hath mentioned your name to me."-" Ha!" cries he; "did she ever mention her poor Jones? You flatter me now I can never believe so much."-"Why then," answered she, "as I hope to be saved, and may the devil fetch me if I speak a syllable more than the truth, I have heard her mention Mr. Jones; but in a civil and modest way, I confess; yet I could perceive she thought a great deal more than she said."-"O my dear woman!" cried Jones, "her thoughts of me I shall never be worthy of. Oh, she is all gentleness, kindness, goodness! Why was such a rascal as I born, ever to give her soft bosom a moment's uneasiness? Why am I cursed? I, who would undergo all the plagues and miseries which any demon ever invented for mankind to procure her any good; nay, torture itself could not be misery to me, did I but know that she was happy."-"Why, look you there now," says the landlady; "I told her you was a constant lovier."-"But pray, madam, tell me when or where you knew any thing of me; for I never was here before, nor do I remember ever to have seen you."-" Nor is it possible you should," answered she; "for you was a little thing when I had you in my lap at the squire's."-" How, the squire's?" says Jones: "what, do you know that great and good Mr. Allworthy then?"—"Yes, marry do I," says she: "who in the country doth not?"-" The fame of his goodness indeed," answered Jones, "must have extended further than this; but heaven only can know him, can know that benevolence which it copied from itself, and sent upon earth as its own pattern. Mankind are as ignorant of such divine goodness, as they are unworthy of it; but none so unworthy of it as myself. I, who was raised by him to such a height; taken in, as you must well know, a poor base-born child, adopted by him, and treated as his own son, to dare by my follies to disoblige him, to draw his vengeance upon me. Yes, I deserve it all; for I will never be so ungrateful as even to think he hath done an act of injustice by me. No, I deserve to be turned out of doors, as I am. And now, madam,” says he, "I believe you will not blame me for turning soldier, especially with such a fortune as this in my pocket." At which words he shook a purse, which had but very little init, and which still appeared to the landlady to have less. My good landlady was (according to vulgar phrase) struck all of a heap by this relation. She answered coldly, That to be sure people were the best judges what was most proper for their circumstances. "But hark," says she, "I think I hear somebody call. Coming! coming! the devil's in all our volk; nobody hath any ears. I must go down stairs; if you want any more breakfast, the maid will come up. Coming!" At which words, without taking any leave, she flung out of the room; for the lower sort of people are very tenacious of respect; and though they are contented to give this gratis to persons of quality, yet they never confer it on those of their own order without taking care to be well paid for their pains. CHAPTER III. IN WHICH THE SURGEON MAKES HIS SECOND APPEARANCE. BEFORE we proceed any further, that the reader may not be mistaken in imagining that the landlady knew more than she did, nor surprised that she knew so much, it may be necessary to inform him that the lieutenant had acquainted her that the name of Sophia had been the occasion of the quarrel; and as for the rest of her knowledge, the sagacious reader will observe how she came by it in the preceding scene. Great curiosity was indeed mixed with her virtues; and she never willingly suffered any one to depart from her house, without inquiring as much as possible into their names, families, and fortunes. She was no sooner gone than Jones, instead of animadverting on her behaviour, reflected that he was in the same bed which he was informed had held his dear Sophia. This occasioned a thousand fond and tender thoughts, which we would dwell longer upon, did we not consider that such kind. of lovers will make a very inconsiderable part of our readers. In this situation the surgeon found him, when he came to dress his wound. The doctor, perceiving upon examination, that his pulse was disordered, and hearing that he had not slept, declared that he was in great danger; for he apprehended a fever was coming on, which he would have prevented by bleeding, but Jones would not submit, declaring he would lose no more blood; "and, doctor," says he, "if you will be so kind only to dress my head, I have no doubt of being well in a day or two." "I wish," answered the surgeon, "I could assure your being well in a month or two. Well indeed! No, no, people are not so soon well of such contusions; but, sir, I am not at this time of day to be instructed in my operations by a patient, and I insist on making a revulsion before I dress you." Jones persisted obstinately in his refusal, and the doctor at last yielded; telling him at the same time that he would. not be answerable for the ill consequence, and hoped he would do him the justice to acknowledge that he had given him a contrary advice; which the patient promised he would. The doctor retired into the kitchen, where addressing himself to the landlady, he complained bitterly of the undutiful behaviour of his patient, who would not be blooded, though he was in a fever. "It is an eating fever then," says the landlady; "for he hath devoured two swinging buttered toasts this morning for breakfast." "Very likely," says the doctor: "I have known people eat in a fever; and it is very easily accounted for; because the acidity occasioned by the febrile matter may stimulate the nerves of the diaphragm, and thereby occasion a craving which will not be easily distinguishable from a natural appetite; but the aliment will not be concreted, nor assimilated into chyle, and so will corrode the vascular orifices, and thus will aggravate the febrific symptoms. Indeed, I think the gentleman in a very dangerous way, and, if he is not blooded, I am afraid will die." "Every man must die some time or other," answered the good woman: "it is no business of mine. I hope, doctor, you would not have me hold him while you bleed him.-But, harkye, a word in your ear; I would advise you, before you proceed too far, to take care who is to be your paymaster.” "Paymaster," said the doctor, staring; "why, I've a gentleman under my hands, have I not?" "I imagined so as well as you," said the landlady; “but as my first husband used to say, every thing is not what it looks to be. He is an arrant scrub, I assure you. However, take no notice that I mentioned any thing to you of the matter; but I think people in business oft always to let one another know such things." "And have I suffered such a fellow as this," cries the doctor, in a passion, "to instruct me? Shall I hear my practice insulted by one who will not pay me! I am glad I have made this discovery in time. I will see now whether he will be blooded or no." He then immediately went up stairs, and flinging open the door of the chamber with much violence, awaked poor Jones from a very sound nap, into which he was fallen, and, what was still worse, from a delicious dream concerning Sophia. "Will you be blooded or no?" cries the doctor, in a rage. "I have told you my resolution already," answered Jones, "and I wish with all my heart you had taken my answer; for you have awaked me out of the sweetest sleep which I ever had in my life." "Ay, ay," cries the doctor; "many a man hath dozed away his life. Sleep is not always good, no more than food; but remember, I demand of you for the last time, will you be blooded?"-"I answer you for the last time," said Jones, "I will not."-" Then I wash my hands of you," cries the doctor; "and I desire you to pay me for the trouble I have had already. Two journeys at 5s. each, two dressings at 5s. more, and half a crown for phlebotomy." -"I hope," said Jones, "you don't intend to leave me in this condition."-"Indeed but I shall," said the other."Then," said Jones, "you have used me rascally, and I will not pay you a farthing."-" Very well," cries the doctor; "the first loss is the best. What a pox did my landlady mean by sending for me to such vagabonds!" At which words he flung out of the room, and his patient turning himself about soon recovered his sleep; but his dream was unfortunately gone. CHAPTER IV. IN WHICH IS INTRODUCED ONE OF THE PLEASANTEST BARBERS THAT WAS EVER RECORDED IN HISTORY, THE THE clock had now struck five, when Jones awaked from a nap of seven hours, so much refreshed, and in such perfect health and spirits, that he resolved to get up and dress himself; for which purpose he unlocked his portmanteau, and took out clean linen, and a suit of clothes; but first he slipt on a frock, and went down into the kitchen to bespeak something that might pacify certain tumults he found rising within his stomach. Meeting the landlady, he accosted her with great civility, and asked, "What he could have for dinner?"-" For dinner!" says she; "it is an odd time of day to think about dinner. There is nothing drest in the house, and the fire is almost out."- "Well but," says he, "I must have some3 E VOL. I. |