'wanted to carry on the prosecution, by a very worthy 'gentleman, who, he said, was well apprized what a 'villain I had to deal with. It was by this man I found เ out who Mr. Jones was; and this man, whose name is 6 Dowling, Mr. Jones tells me, is your steward. I dis'covered his name by a very odd accident; for he him'self refused to tell it me; but Partridge, who met him at my lodgings the second time he came, knew him formerly at Salisbury.'

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And did this Mr. Dowling,' says Allworthy, with great astonishment in his countenance, tell you, that I would assist in the prosecution?'. 'No, Sir,' answered she, 'I will not charge him wrongfully. He 'said I should be assisted, but he mentioned no name.'Yet you must pardon me, Sir, if from circumstances I 'thought it could be no other.' Indeed, Madam,' says Allworthy, 'from circumstances I am too well con'vinced it was another. -Good heaven! by what won'derful means is the blackest and deepest villany some'times discovered!-Shall I beg you, Madam, to stay 'the person you have mentioned comes; for I expect 'him every minute; nay he may be, perhaps, already in the house.'

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Allworthy then stept to the door, in order to call a servant, when in came, not Mr. Dowling, but the gentleman who will be seen in the next chapter.

CHAPTER VIII.

Further continuation.

THE gentleman who now arrived was no other than Mr. Western. He no sooner saw Allworthy, than, without

considering in the least the presence of Mrs. Waters, he began to vociferate in the following manner: 'Fine ' doings at my house! A rare kettle of fish I have dis'covered at last! who the devil would be plagued with เ a daughter?' 'What's the matter, neighbour?' said Allworthy. 'Matter enough,' answered Western; 'when 'I thought she was just a coming to; nay, when she had in a manner promised me to do as I would ha her, and 'when I was a hoped to have had nothing more to do 'than to have sent for the lawyer, and finished all; what do you think I have found out? that the little b

hath bin playing tricks with me all the while, and carrying on a correspondence with that bastard of yours. Sister Western, whom I have quarrelled with upon her account, sent me word o't, and I ordered her pockets to be searched when she was asleep, and here 'I have got un signed with the son of a whore's own name. I have not had patience to read half o't, for 'tis longer than one of parson Supple's sermons; but I find plainly it is all about love; and indeed what should it 'be else? I have packed her up in a chamber again, and to-morrow morning down she goes into the country, ' unless she consents to be married directly, and there 'she shall live in a garret upon bread and water all her 6 days; and the sooner such a b―― breaks her heart the 'better, though, d-n her, that I believe is too tough. 'She will live long enough to plague me.' 'Mr. Western,' answered Allworthy, 'you know I have always protested against force, and you yourself consented that none 'should be used.' 'Ay,' cries he, 'that was only upon 'condition that she would consent without. What the 'devil and Doctor Faustus! shan't I do what I will with my own daughter, especially when I desire nothing but 'her own good?" Well, neighbour,' answered Allworthy, if you will give me leave, I will undertake

once to argue with the young lady.' 'Will you,' said Western, 'why that is kind now and neighbourly, and 'mayhap you will do more than I have been able to do 'with her; for I promise you she hath a very good 'opinion of you.' 'Well, Sir,' said Allworthy, if you will go home, and release the young lady from her captivity, I will wait upon her within this half hour.' 'But, suppose,' said Western,' she should run away with un in the mean time? For lawyer Dowling tells me 'there is no hopes of hanging the fellow at last; for that 'the man is alive, and like to do well, and that he thinks 'Jones will be out of prison again presently.'. 'How,'

said Allworthy, what did you employ him then to 'inquire or to do any thing in that matter?' 'Not I,' answered Western, 'he mentioned it to me just now of 'his own accord.''Just now!' cries Allworthy, 'why 'where did you see him then? I want much to see Mr. Dowling.'-'Why you may see un an you will presently at my lodgings; for there is to be a meeting of lawyers there this morning, about a mortgage.''Icod! I shall lose two or dree thousand pounds, I believe, by that honest gentleman, Mr. Nightingale.''Well, Sir,' said Allworthy, 'I will be with you within 'the half hour.' And do for once,' cries the squire, 'take a fool's advice; never think of dealing with her by gentle methods, take my word for it those will never do. I have tried 'um long enough. She must 'be frightened into it, there is no other way. Tell her 'I'm her father; and of the horrid sin of disobedience,

and of the dreadful punishment of it in t'other world, ' and then tell her about being locked up all her life in a garret in this, and being kept only on bread and water.' 'I will do all I can,' said Allworthy; for I promise you, 'there is nothing I wish for more than an alliance with

this amiable creature.' 'Nay, the girl is well enough

'for matter o'that,' cries the squire; a man may go 'farther and meet with worse meat; that I may de'clare o' her, thof she be my own daughter. And if she will be but obedient to me, there is narrow a 'father within a hundred miles o' the place, that loves ' a daughter better than I do; but I see you are busy 'with the lady here, so I will go huome and expect you; and so your humble servant.'

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As soon as Mr. Western was gone, Mrs. Waters said, 'I see, Sir, the squire hath not the least remembrance ' of my face. I believe, Mr. Allworthy, you would not 'have known me neither. I am very considerably altered 'since that day when you so kindly gave me that advice, 'which I had been happy had I followed.' - Indeed, Madam,' cries Allworthy, it gave me great concern 'when I first heard the contrary.' 'Indeed, Sir,' says she, 'I was ruined by a very deep scheme of villany, 'which if you knew, though I pretend not to think it 'would justify me in your opinion, it would at least mitigate my offence, and induce you to pity me; you are not now at leisure to hear my whole story; but this I assure you, I was betrayed was betrayed by the most 'solemn promises of marriage; nay, in the eye of 'heaven I was married to him; for after much reading

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on the subject, I am convinced that particular cere'monies are only requisite to give a legal sanction to marriage, and have only a worldly use in giving a เ woman the privileges of a wife; but that she who ' lives constant to one man, after a solemn private afเ fiance, whatever the world may call her, hath little to charge on her own conscience.' 'I am sorry, Madam,' said Allworthy, 'you made so ill an use of your learning. 'Indeed, it would have been well that you had been 'possessed of much more, or had remained in a state ' of ignorance. And yet, Madam, I am afraid you have

'During his life,'

more than this sin to answer for.' answered she, which was above a dozen years, I most 'solemnly assure you, I had not. I had not. And consider, Sir, ' on my behalf, what is in the power of a woman stript ' of her reputation, and left destitute; whether the good'natured world will suffer such a stray sheep to return 'to the road of virtue, even if she was never so desirous. 'I protest then, I would have chose it had it been in my power; but necessity drove me into the arms of 'Captain Waters, with whom, though still unmarried, 'I lived as a wife for many years, and went by his name. 'I parted with this gentleman at Worcester, on his march against the rebels, and it was then I accidentally met with Mr. Jones, who rescued me from the hands ' of a villain. Indeed, he is the worthiest of men. No young gentleman of his age is, I believe, freer from vice, and few have the twentieth part of his virtues; nay, whatever vices he hath had, I am firmly per'suaded he hath now taken a resolution to abandon them.' I hope he hath,' cries Allworthy, and I hope he will preserve that resolution. I must say, I have still the same hopes with regard to yourself. The เ world, I do agree, are apt to be too unmerciful on these 'occasions; yet time and perseverance will get the better of this their disinclination, as I may call it, to pity; 'for though they are not, like heaven, ready to receive a penitent sinner; yet a continued repentance will at 'length obtain mercy even with the world. This you เ may be assured of, Mrs. Waters, that whenever I find you are sincere in such good intentions, you shall want 'no assistance in my power to make them effectual.'

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Mrs. Waters fell now upon her knees before him, and, in a flood of tears, made him many most passionate acknowledgments of his goodness, which, as she truly said, savoured more of the divine than human nature.