lady Bellafton began to conceive him to be a kind of miracle in nature.

The curiofity, which her woman had infpired, was now greatly increafed by Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who fpoke as much in favour of the perfon of Jones, as fhe had before spoken in difpraife of his birth, character, and fortune.

When lady Bellaston had heard the whole, she anfwered gravely,' Indeed, Madam, this is a matter of 'great confequence. Nothing can certainly be more: ' commendable than the part you act; and I fhall be very glad to have my fhare in the prefervation of a young lady of fo much merit, and for whom I have 'fo much efteem.'

་

'Doth not your ladyfhip think,' fays Mrs. Fitzpatrick eagerly, that it would be the best way to write immediately to my uncle, and acquaint him wheremy coufin is?'

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The lady pondered a little upon this, and thus anfwered: Why, no, Madam, I think not.

Dis Western hath defcribed her brother to me to be fuch a brute, that I cannot confent to put any woman. ' under his power who hath escaped from it. I have 'heard he behaved like a monfter to his own wife; 'for he is one of thofe wretches who think they have a right to tyrannize over us, and from fuch I fhall ever efteem it the caufe of my fex to rescue any wo" man who is fo unfortunate to be under their power.. -The bufinefs, dear coufin; will be only to 'keep Mifs Western from feeing this young fellow, till the good company, which the will have an opportunity of meeting here, give her a properer,

turn.

'If he should find her out, Madam,' answered the other, ' your ladyship may be affured he will leave nothing unattempted to come at her.'.

But Madam,' replied the lady, it is impoffible he fhould come here-though indeed it is poffible ⚫ he may get fome intelligence where fhe is, and then may lurk about the house-I wish therefore I knew his perfon..

Dd. 3

Is.

Is there no way, Madam, by which I could have a fight of him? for otherwife you know, coufin, she may contrive to see him here without my knowledge.' Mrs. Fitzpatrick answered, That he had threatened her with another vifit that afternoon, ⚫ and that, if her ladyfhip pleafed to do her the honour of calling upon her then, fhe would hardly fail of feeing him between fix and feven; and, if he came • earlier, fhe would, by fome means or other, detain him till her ladythip's arrival.'—Lady Bellafton replied, the would come the moment fhe could get from dinner, which the fuppofed would be by seven at fartheft; for that it was abfolutely neceffary the fhould be acquainted with his perfon. Upon my word, Madam,' fays fhe,' it was very good to take this care of Miss Western; but common humanity, as well as regard to our family, requires it of us both; for it would be a dreadful match indeed.'

Mrs. Fitzpatrick failed not to make a proper return to the compliment which lady Bellafton had beftowed on her coufin, and, after fome little immaterial converfation, withdrew; and, getting as fast as fhe could into her chair, unfeen by Sophia or Honour, returned home.

MR

CHAP. IV.

Which confifts of vifiting.

R. Jones had walked within fight of a certain door during the whole day, which, though one of the shortest, appeared to him to be one of the longeft in the whole year. At length, the clock having ftruck five, he returned to Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who, though it was a full hour earlier than the decent time of vifiting, received him very civilly, but ftill perfifted in her ignorance concerning Sophia.

Jones, in afking for his angel, had dropped the word coufin; upon which Mrs. Fitzpatrick faid, • Then, Sir, you know we are related; and, as we are, you will permit me the right of enquiring into ⚫ the particulars of your business with my coufin.'

Here Jones hefitated a good while, and at last answer: ed, He had a confiderable füm of money of hers in his hands, which he defired to deliver to her. He then produced the pocket-book, and acquainted Mrs. Fitzpatrick with the contents, and with the method in which they came into his hands. He had fcarce finished his ftory, when a moft violent noife fhook the whole houfe. To attempt to defcribe this noife to those who have heard it, would be in vain; and to aim at giving any idea of it to those who have never heard the like, would be ftill more vain for it may be truly faid,

Non acuta

Sic geminant Corybantes Era.

The priests of Cybele do not fo rattle their founding

brafs.

In fhort, a footman knocked, or rather thundered at the door. Jones was a little furprized at the found, having never heard it before; but Mrs. Fitzpatrick very calmly faid, that as fome company were coming, fhe could not make him any answer now; but if he pleafed to ftay till they were gone, the intimated the had fomething to fay to him.

The door of the room now flew open, and, after pufhing in her hoop fideways before her, entered lady' Bellafton, who having firft made a very low curtfey to Mrs. Fitzpatrick, and as low a one to Mr. Jones, was ufhered to the upper end of the room.

We mention thefe minute matters for the fake of fome country ladies of our acquaintance, who think it contrary to the rules of modesty to bend their knees

to a man.

The company were hardly well fettled, before the arrival of the peer lately mentioned, caufed a fresh disturbance, and a repetition of ceremonials.

These being over, the converfation began to be (as the phrafe is) extremely brilliant. However; as nothing paft in it which can be thought material' to this history, or, indeed, very material in itfelf, I fhall omit the relation; the rather as I have known fome very fine polite converfation grow extremely dull,

when

when tranfcribed into books, or repeated on the stage. Indeed this mental repaft is a dainty, of which those who are excluded from polite affemblies, must be contented to remain as ignorant as they must of the feveral dainties of French cookery, which are ferved only at the tables of the great. To fay the truth, as neither of these are adapted to every tafte, they might both be often thrown away on the vulgar.

Poor Jones was rather a spectator of this elegant fcene than an actor in it; for though in the fhort interval before the peer's arrival, lady Bellafton first, and afterwards Mrs. Fitzpatrick, had addressed fome of their discourse to him; yet no fooner was the noble lord entered, than he engroffed the whole attention of the two ladies to himself; and as he took no more notice of Jones than if no fuch person had been prefent, unless by now and then staring at him, the ladies followed his example.

The company had now ftaid fo long, that Mrs. Fitzpatrick plainly perceived they all defigned to stay out each other. She therefore refolved to rid herselfof Jones, he being the vifitant to whom the thought the least ceremony was due. Taking therefore an opportunity of a ceffation of chat, fhe addreffed herself gravely to him, and faid, Sir, I fhall not poffibly be able to give you an answer to-night, as to that business; but if you pleafe to leave word where I. may fend to you to-morrow.'.

Jones had natural, but not artificial good-breeding. Instead therefore of communicating the fecret of his lodgings to a fervant, he acquainted the lady herself with it particularly, and foon after very ceremoniously withdrew.

He was no fooner gone, than the great perfonages, who had taken no notice of him prefent, began to take much notice of him in his abfence; but if the reader hath already excufed us from relating the more brilliant part of this converfation, he will furely be very ready to excufe the repetition of what may be called vulgar abufe: though, perhaps, it may be material to our history to mention an observation of lady Bellafton, who took her leave in a few minutes after

him, and then faid to Mrs. Fitzpatrick, at her depar ture, I am fatisfied on the account of my coufin; the can be in no danger from this fellow.'

Our history fhall follow the example of lady Bellafton, and take leave of the prefent company, which was now reduced to two perfons; between whom, as nothing paffed, which in the leaft concerns us or our reader, we fhall not fuffer ourselves to be diverted by it from matters which muft feem of more confequence to all those who are at all interested in the affairs of our hero.

CHAP. V.

An adventure which happened to Mr. Jones at his lodg ings, with fome account of a young gentleman who lodged there, and of the mistress of the house, and her two daughters.

HE next morning, as early as it was decent, Jones attended at Mrs. Fitzpatrick's door, where he was answered that the lady was not at home; an anfwer which furprized him the more, as he had walked backwards and forwards in the street from break of day; and if she had gone out, he must have seen her. This anfwer, however, he was obliged to receive, and not only now, but to five feveral vifits which he madeher that day.

To be plain with the reader, the noble peer had, from fome reafon or other, perhaps from a regard for the lady's honour, infifted that she should not fee Mr. Jones, whom he looked on as a fcrub, any more; and the lady had complied in making that promise, to which we now fee her fo ftrictly adhere.

But as our gentle reader may poffibly have a better opinion of the young gentleman than her ladyship, and may even have fome concern, fhould it be apprehended, that during this unhappy feparation from Sophia, he took up his refidence either at an inn, or in the treet; we fhall now give an account of his lodging, which was indeed in a very reputable houfe, and in a very good part of the town.

Mr.