Booth poured forth, very warmly, a great profusion of gratitude on this occasion; and nothing more anywise material past at this interview, which was very short, the Colonel being in a great hurry, as he had, he said, some business of very great importance to transact that morning.

The Colonel had now seen Booth twice, without remembering to give him the thirty pounds. This the latter imputed entirely to forgetfulness; for he had always found the promises of the former to be equal in value to the notes or bonds of other people. He was more surprised at what happened the next day, when meeting his friend in the Park, he received only a cold salute from him; and though he passed him five or six times, and the Colonel was walking with a single officer of no great rank, and with whom he seemed in no earnest conversation, yet could not Booth, who was alone, obtain any further notice

from him.

This gave the poor man some alarm; though he could scarce persuade himself there was any design in all this coldness or forgetfulness. Once he imagined that he had lessened himself in the Colonel's opinion, by having discovered his inconstancy to Amelia; but the known character of the other presently cured him of this suspicion; for he was a perfect libertine with regard to women; that being indeed the principal ble mish in his character, which otherwise might have deserved much commendation for good-nature, generosity, and friendship. But he carried this one to a most unpardonable height; and made no scruple of openly declaring, that if he ever liked a woman well enough to be uneasy on her account, he would cure himself, if he could, by enjoying her, whatever might be the consequence.

Booth could not, therefore, be persuaded that the Colonel would so highly resent in another a fault, of which he was himself most notoriously guilty. After much consideration, he could derive this behaviour from nothing better than a capriciousness in his friend's temper, from a kind of inconstancy of mind, which makes men grow weary of their friends, with no more reason than they often are of their mistresses. To say the truth, there are jilts in friendship as well as in love; and by the behaviour of some men in both, one would almost imagine that they industriously sought to gain the affections of others, with a view only of making the parties

miserable.

This was the consequence of the Colonel's behaviour to Booth. Former calamities had afflicted him, but this almost distracted him; and the more so, as he was not able well to account for such conduct, nor to conceive the reason of it.

Amelia, at his return, presently perceived the disturbance of his mind, though he endeavoured

with his utmost power to hide it; and he was at length prevailed upon by her intreaties to discover to her the cause of it; which she no sooner heard, than she applied as judicious a remedy to his disordered spirits, as either of those great mental physicians, Tully or Aristotle, could have thought of. She used many arguments to per suade him that he was in an error, and had mistaken forgetfulness and carelessness for a designed neglect.

But as this physic was only eventually good, and as its efficacy depended on her being in the right, a point in which she was not apt to be too positive, she thought fit to add some consolation of a more certain and positive kind. " Admit," said she, "my dear, that Mr James should prove the unaccountable person you have suspected, and should, without being able to allege any cause, withdraw his friendship from you, (for surely the accident of burning his letter is too trifling and ridiculous to mention,) why should this grieve you? The obligations he hath conferred on you, I allow, ought to make his misfortunes almost your own; but they should not, I think, make you see his faults so very sensibly, especially when, by one of the greatest faults in the world committed against yourself, he hath considerably lessened all obligations; for sure, if the same person who hath contributed to my happiness at one time, doth every thing in his power, maliciously and wantonly, to make me miserable at another, I am very little obliged to such a person. And let it be a comfort to my dear Billy, that however other friends may prove false and fickle to him, he hath one friend, whom no inconstancy of her own, nor any change of his fortune, nor time, nor age, nor sickness, nor any accident can ever alter; but who will esteem, will love, and doat on him for ever." So saying, she flung her snowy arms about his neck, and gave him a caress so tender, that it seemed almost to balance all the malice of his fate.

And indeed the behaviour of Amelia would have made him completely happy, in defiance of all adverse circumstances, had it not been for those bitter ingredients which he himself had thrown into his cup, and which prevented him from truly relishing his Amelia's sweetness, by cruelly reminding him how unworthy he was of

this excellent creature.

Booth did not long remain in the dark as to the conduct of James, which, at first, appeared to him to be so great a mystery; for this very afternoon he received a letter from Miss Matthews, which unravelled the whole affair. By this letter, which was full of bitterness and upbraiding, he discovered that James was his rival with that lady, and was indeed the identical person who had sent the hundred pound note to Miss Matthews when in the prison. He had reason to believe likewise, as well by the letter as by other circumstances, that James had hi

therto been an unsuccessful lover; for the lady, though she had forfeited all title to virtue, had not yet so far forfeited all pretensions to delicacy, as to be, like the dirt in the street, indifferently common to all. She distributed her favours only to those she liked, in which number that gentleman had not the happiness of being included.

When Booth had made this discovery, he was not so little versed in human nature as any longer to hesitate at the true motive of the Colonel's conduct; for he well knew how odious a sight a happy rival is to an unfortunate lover. I believe he was, in reality, glad to assign the cold treatment he had received from his friend to a cause which, however unjustifiable, is, at the same time, highly natural; and to acquit him of a levity, fickleness, and caprice, which he must have been unwillingly obliged to have seen in a much worse light.

He now resolved to take the first opportunity of accosting the Colonel, and of coming to a perfect explanation upon the whole matter. He debated likewise with himself whether he should not throw himself at Amelia's feet, and confess a crime to her, which he had found so little hopes of concealing, and which he foresaw would occasion him so many difficulties and terrors to endeavour to conceal. Happy had it been for him had he wisely pursued this step, since, in all probability, he would have received immediate forgiveness from the best of women; but he had not sufficient resolution, or, to speak more truly, he had too much pride to confess his guilt, and preferred the danger of the highest inconveniences to the certainty of being put to the blush.

WHEN that happy day came, in which unhallowed hands are forbidden to contaminate the shoulders of the unfortunate, Booth went early to the Colonel's house, and being admitted to his presence, began with great freedom, though with great gentleness, to complain of his not having dealt with him with more openness. "Why, my dear Colonel," said he, "would you not acquaint me with that secret which this letter hath disclosed?" James read the letter, at which his countenance changed more than once; and then, after a short silence, said, "Mr Booth, I have been to blame-I own it-and you upbraid me with justice. The true reason was, that I was ashamed of my own folly. D-n me, Booth, if I have not been a most consummate fool, a very dupe to this woman; and she hath a particular pleasure in making me so. I know what the

impertinence of virtue is, and I can submit to it; but to be treated thus by a whore-You must forgive me, dear Booth; but your success was a kind of triumph over me which I could not bear. I own I have not the least reason to conceive any anger against you; and yet, curse me if I should not have been less displeased at your lying with my own wife; nay, I could almost have parted with half my fortune to you more willingly, than have suffered you to receive that trifle of my money which you received at her hands. However, I ask your pardon, and I promise you I will never more think of you with the least ill-will on the account of this woman; but as for her, d―n me if I do not enjoy her by some means or other, whatever it costs me; for I am already two hundred pound out of pocket, without having had scarce a smile in return."

Booth expressed much astonishment at this declaration; he said "he did not conceive how it was possible to have such an affection for a woman who did not shew the least inclination to return it."-James gave her a hearty curse, and said, "Pox of her inclination; I want only the possession of her person, and that, you will allow, is a very fine one. But, besides my passion for her, she hath now piqued my pride; for how can a man of my fortune brook being refused by a whore?"-" Since you are so set on the business," cries Booth, "you will excuse my saying so, I fancy you had better change your method of applying to her: for as she is, perhaps, the vainest woman upon earth, your bounty may probably do you little service; nay, may rather actually disoblige her. Vanity is plainly her predominant passion, and if you will administer to that, it will infallibly throw her into your arms. To this I attribute my own unfortunate success. While she relieved my wants and distresses, she was daily feeding her own vanity; whereas, as every gift of yours asserted your superiority, it rather offended than pleased her. Indeed women generally love to be of the obliging side; and if we examine their favourites, we shall find them to be much oftener such as they have conferred obligations on, than such as they have received them from."

There was something in this speech which pleased the Colonel; and he said with a smile, "I don't know how it is, Will, but you know women better than I."-" Perhaps, Colonel, answered Booth, "I have studied their minds more."-" I don't, however, much envy you your knowledge," replied the other; " for I ne ver think their minds worth considering. However, I hope I shall profit a little by your experience with Miss Matthews. Damnation seize the proud insolent harlot! The devil take me if I don't love her more than I ever loved a woman!"

The rest of their conversation turned on Booth's affairs. The Colonel again reassumed the part

of a friend, gave him the remainder of the money, and promised to take the first opportunity of laying his memorial before a great man. Booth was greatly overjoyed at this success. Nothing now lay on his mind, but to conceal his frailty from Amelia, to whom he was afraid Miss Matthews, in the rage of her resentment, would communicate it. This apprehension made him stay almost constantly at home; and he trembled at every knock at the door. His fear, more over, betrayed him into a meanness which he would have heartily despised on any other occasion: this was, to order the maid to deliver him any letter directed to Amelia, at the same time strictly charging her not to acquaint her mistress with her having received any such orders.

A servant of any acuteness would have formed strange conjectures from such an injunction; but this poor girl was of perfect simplicity: so great indeed was her simplicity, that had not Amelia been void of all suspicion of her husband, the maid would have soon after betrayed her

master.

One afternoon, while they were drinking tea, little Betty, so was the maid called, came into the room; and, calling her master forth, delivered him a card, which was directed to Amelia. Booth having read the card, on his return into the room chid the girl for calling him, saying, "If you can read, child, you must see it was directed to your mistress."-To this the girl answered pertly enough, "I am sure, sir, you or dered me to bring every letter first to you." This hint, with many women, would have been sufficient to have blown up the whole affair: but Amelia, who heard what the girl said through the medium of love and confidence, saw the mat ter in a much better light than it deserved; and looking tenderly on her husband, said, "Indeed, my love, I must blame you for a conduct which perhaps I ought rather to praise, as it proceeds only from the extreme tenderness of your affection. But why will you endeavour to keep any secrets from me? Believe me, for my own sake you ought not for as you cannot hide the consequences, you make me always suspect ten times worse than the reality. While I have you and my children well before my eyes, I am capable of facing any news which can arrive: for what ill news can come (unless indeed it concerns my little babe in the country,) which doth not relate to the badness of our circumstances? and those, I thank Heaven, we have now a fair prospect of retrieving. Besides, dear Billy, though my understanding be much inferior to yours, I have sometimes had the happiness of luckily hitting on some argument which hath afforded you comfort. This, you know, my dear, was the case with regard to Colonel James, whom I persuaded you to think you had mistaken, and you see the event proved me in the right."-So happily, both for herself and Mr Booth, did the excellence of this good woman's dispositions deceive her, and

force her to see every thing in the most advan. tageous light to her husband.

The card being now inspected, was found to contain the compliments of Mrs James to Mrs Booth, with an account of her being arrived in town, and having brought with her a very great cold. Amelia was overjoyed at the news of her arrival, and having dressed herself in the utmost hurry, left her children to the care of her husband, and ran away to pay her respects to her friend, whom she loved with a most sincere affection. But how was she disappointed, when, eager with the utmost impatience, and exulting with the thoughts of presently seeing her beloved friend, she was answered at the door that the lady was not at home! nor could she, upon telling her name, obtain any admission. This, considering the account she had received of the lady's cold, greatly surprised her; and she returned home very much vexed at her disappointment.

Amelia, who had no suspicion that Mrs James was really at home, and, as the phrase is, was denied, would have made a second visit the next morning, had she not been prevented by a cold, which she herself now got, and which was attended with a slight fever. This confined her several days to her house, during which Booth officiated as her nurse, and never stirred from her.

In all this time she heard not a word from Mrs James, which gave her some uneasiness, but more astonishment. The tenth day, when she was perfectly recovered, about nine in the evening, when she and her husband were just going to supper, she heard a most violent thundering at the door, and presently after a rustling of silk upon her stair-case, at the same time a female voice cried out pretty loud,-" Bless me! what, am I to climb up another pair of stairs?" upon which Amelia, who well knew the voice, presently ran to the door, and ushered in Mrs James, most splendidly dressed, and who put on as formala countenance, and made as formal a courtesy to her old friend, as if she had been her very distant acquaintance.

Poor Amelia, who was going to rush into her friend's arms, was struck motionless by this be haviour; but recollecting her spirits, as she had an excellent presence of mind, she presently understood what the lady meant, and resolved to treat her in her own way. Down therefore the company sat, and silence prevailed for some time, during which Mrs James surveyed the room with more attention than she would have bestowed on one much finer. At length the conversation be gan, in which the weather, and the diversions of the town, were well canvassed. Amelia, who was a woman of great humour, performed her part to admiration; so that a bystander would have doubted, in every other article than dress, which of the two was the most accomplished fine lady.

After a visit of twenty minutes, during which