,, my defire, and indeed I may say against my "Indeed, indeed, Mifs, » confent. cries the aunt, you ought to be afhamed of owning you had received it at all; but where is the letter? for I will fee it." دو To this peremptory demand Sophia paufed fome time before the returned an anfwer; and at laft only excufed herself by declaring she had not the letter in her pocket, which was indeed true; upon which her aunt, lofing all manner of patience, asked her niece this fhort question, whether she would refolve to marry Lord Fellamar or no? to which fhe received the strongest negative. Mrs. Weftern then replied with an oath, or something very like one, that she would early the next morning deliver her back into her father's hand. وو دو Sophia then began to reafon with her aunt in the following manner; "Why, Madam, must I of neceffity be forced to marry at all? Confider how cruel you would have thought it in » your own cafe, and how much kinder your » parents were in leaving you to your liberty. What have I done to forfeit this liberty? I will » never marry contrary to my father's confent, ,, nor without asking yours. And, when I afk the confent of either improperly, it will be then time enough to force fome other marriage upon me. "Can I bear to hear this?" cries Mrs. Western, "from a girl who has now a letter from ,, a murderer in her pocket." "I have no fuch ? دو VOL. IV. S دو دو ,, letter, I promise you, anfwered Sophia; "and if he be a murderer, he will foon be in no condition to give you any further disturbance." How, Miss Western," said the aunt," have you the affurance to speak of him in this manner, to own your affection for fuch a villain to my face?" "Sure, Madam," faid Sophia, دو دو وو دو دو כל you " "I » put a very strange conftruction on my words.' Indeed, Mifs Western," cries the Lady, shall not bear this ufage; you have learnt of your father this manner of treating me; he has taught » you to give me the lie. He has totally ruined "you by his falfe fyftem of education; and please Heaven he shall have the comfort of its fruits: for once more I declare to you, that to-morrow » morning I will carry you back. I will withdraw forces from the field, and remain hence,, forth, like the wife King of Pruffia, in a state of perfect neutrality. You are both too wife to be regulated by my measures; fo prepare yourfelf; for to-morrow morning you fhall evacuate this house." وو دو " Sophia remonstrated all she could; but her aunt was deaf to all the faid. In this refolution therefore we must at prefent leave her, as there feems to be no hopes of bringing her to change it. CHA P. I X. What happened to Mr. Jones in the Prifon. MR. R. Jones paft above twenty-four melancholy hours by himself, unless when relieved by the company of Partridge, before Mr. Nightingale returned; not that this worthy young man had deferted or forgot his friend; for indeed, he had been much the greatest part of the time employed in his fervice. He had heard upon inquiry that the only perfons who had feen the beginning of the unfortunate rencounter, were a crew belonging to a man of war, which then lay at Deptford. To Deptford therefore he went, in fearch of this crew, where he was informed that the men he fought after, were all gone afhore. He then traced them from place to place, till at laft he found two of them drinking together, with a third person, at a hedge-tavern, near Alderfgate. Nightingale defired to fpeak with Jones by himfelf, for Partridge was in the room when he came in. As foon as they were alone, Nightingale taking Jones by the hand, cried, "Come, my brave friend, be not too much dejected at what I am going to tell you-I am forry I am the ,, meffenger of bad news; but I think it my duty " to tell you.' "I guefs already what that bad دو دو news is," cries Jones. then is dead." "The poor gentleman "I hope not," answered Nightingale. "He was alive this morning; though ,, I will not flatter you; I fear from the accounts I could get, that his wound is mortal. But if the affair be exactly as you told it, your own remorfe would be all you would have reason ,, to apprehend, let what would happen; but for,, give me, my dear Tom, if I entreat you to make the worst of your story to your friends. If you disguise any thing to us, you will only be an ,, enemy to yourself." وو د, " “ "What reafon, my dear Jack, have I ever given " you," faid Jones, to ftab me with fo cruel a fufpicion?" "Have patience," cries Nightingale, and I will tell you all. After the most diligent inquiry I could make, I at last met with two of the fellows who were prefent at this unhappy accident, and I am forry to fay, they do not relate the story fo much in your favor as you yourself have told it." "Why, what do they fay?" cries Jones. "Indeed what I am forry to repeat, as I am afraid of the confequence of it to you. They say that they were at too great a distance to overhear any words that paffed between you but they both agree that the first blow was given by you.' "Then upon my ,, foul," anfwered Jones, "they injure me. He not only ftruck me first, but ftruck me without the leaft provocation. What fhould induce those villains to accufe me falfely?" "Nay, that I دو " دو دو دو رو رو رو رو دو دو ,, cannot guess," faid Nightingale," and if you yourself, and I who am so heartily your friend, cannot conceive a reason why they should belie "you, what reafon will an indifferent Court of justice be able to affign, why they should not believe them? I repeated the queftion to them feveral times, and fo did another gentleman who " was prefent, who, I believe, is a fea-faring „ man, and who really acted a very friendly part by you; for he begged them often to confider, that there was the life of a man in the cafe; and asked them over and over, if they were certain; ,, to which they both anfwered; that they were, and would abide by their evidence upon oath. For Heaven's fake, my dear friend, recollect yourself; for if this should appear to be the fact, it will be your bufinefs to think in time of making the best of your interest. I would not shock "you: but you know, I believe, the severity of the law, whatever verbal provocations may have been given you. "Alas! my friend," cries Jones, what interest has fuch a wretch as I? Be,, fides, do you think I would even wifh to live ,, with the reputation of a murderer? If I had any friends, as, alas! I have none, could I have the confidence to folicit them to speak in the behalf of a man condemned for the blackest crime in human nature? Believe me, I have no fuch hope; but I have fome reliance on a throne ftill greatly fuperior; which will, I am certain, afford me all the protection I merit." He then دو وو " " |