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treme violence of which, if he had failed to equal, he well knew the lady would think him ungrateful; and, what is worse, he would have thought himself fo. He knew the tacit confideration upon which all her favours were conferred, and, as his neceffity obliged him to accept them, fo his honour he concluded forced him to pay the price. This therefore he refolved to do, whatever misery it coft him, and to devote himself to her, from that great principle of juftice, by which the laws of fome countries oblige a debtor, who is no otherwife capable of difcharging his debt, to become the slave of his creditor.

While he was meditating on thefe matters, he received the following note from the lady.

A very foolish, but a very perverse accident, hath happened fince our laft meeting, which makes it improper I fhould fee you any more at the usual place. I will, if poffible, contrive fome other place by to-morrow. In the mean time, adieu.'

This disappointment perhaps the reader may conclude was not very great; but, if it was, he was quickly relieved; for, in less than an hour afterwards, another note was brought him from the fame hand, which contained as follows.

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I have altered my mind fince I wrote, a change which, if you are no ftranger to the tendereft of all paffions, you will not wonder at. I am now refolved to fee you this evening at my own house, whatever may be the confequence. Come to me exactly at feven; I dine abroad, but will be at home by that time. A day I find, to those that fincerely love, feems longer than I imagined.

If you should accidentally be a few moments before me, bid them fhew you into the drawing

' room.'

To confefs the truth, Jones was lefs pleafed with this last epistle, than he had been with the former,

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as he was prevented by it from complying with the earnest entreaties of Mr. Nightingale, with whom he had now contracted much intimacy and friendship. Thefe entreaties were to go with that young gentleman and his company to a new play, which was to be acted that evening, and which a very large party had agreed to damn, from fome diflike they had ta ken to the author, who was a friend to one of Mr. Nightingale's acquaintance. And this fort of fun our hero, we are ashamed to confefs, would willingly have preferred to the above kind appointment; but his honour got the better of his inclination.

Before we attend him to this intended interview with the lady, we think proper to account for both the preceding notes, as the reader may poffibly be not a little furprised at the imprudence of lady Bellafton in bringing her lover to the very house where her ri val was lodged.

First then, the mistress of the house where these lovers had hitherto met, and who had been for fome years a penfioner to that lady, was now become a methodist, and had that very morning waited upon her ladyfhip, and, after rebuking her very feverely for her past life, had pofitively declared, that the would, on no account, be inftrumental in carrying on any of her affairs for the future.

The hurry of fpirits, into which this accident threw the lady, made her defpair of poffibly finding any other convenience to meet Jones that evening; but, as fhe began a little to recover from her uneafinefs at the difappointment, the fet her thoughts to work, when luckily it came into her head to propofe to Sophia to go to the play, which was immediately confented to, and a proper lady provided for her companion. Mrs. Honour was likewise dispatched with Mrs. Etoff on the fame errand of pleasure; and thus her own houfe was left free for the fafe reception of Mr. Jones, with whom the promised herself two or three hours of uninterrupted converfation, after her return from the place where the dined, which was at a friend's house in a pretty distant part of the town, near her old

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place of affignation, where the had engaged herself before fhe was well apprized of the revolution, that had happened in the mind and morals of her late confidante.

CHA P. X.

A chapter, which though short may draw tears from fome eyes.

MR.

R. Jones was juft dreffed to wait on lady Bellafton, when Mrs. Miller rapped at his door; and, being adinitted, very earnestly defired his company below ftairs to drink tea in the parlour.

Upon his entrance into the room, the presently introduced a person to him, faying, This, Sir, is my 'coufin, who hath been fo greatly beholden to your goodness, for which he begs to return you his fin'cereft thanks.'

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The man had fcarce entered upon that fpeech, which Mrs. Miller had fo kindly prefaced, when both Jones and he, looking ftedfaftly at each other, fhewed at once the utmost tokens of furprize. The voice of the latter began inftantly to faulter; and, instead of finishing his fpeech, he funk down into a chair, crying, It is fo; I am convinced it is fo!'

Blefs me, what's the meaning of this,' cries Mrs. Miller; you are not ill, I hope, coufin? Some water; ་ a dram this inftant.'

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'Be not frighted, Madam,' cries Jones; I have ' almost as much need of a dram as your coufin. We are equally furprised at this unexpected meeting. 'Your coufin is an acquaintance of mine, Mrs. Mil'ler.'

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'An acquaintance' cries the man. . Oh Hea་ ven!

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Ay, an acquaintance,' repeated Jones, and an 'honoured acquaintance too. When I do not love and honour the man who dares venture every thing to preserve his wife and children from initant deftruction, may have a friend capable of downing me in adverfity.'

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VOL. VIII.

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O you are an excellent young man,' cries Mrs. Miller yes, indeed, poor creature! he hath ventured every thing; if he had not had one of the • belt of constitutions, it must have killed him.'

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Coufin,' cries the man, who had now pretty well recovered himself; this is the angel from heaven whom I meant. This is he to whom, before I faw you, I owed the prefervation of my Peggy. He it was to whofe generofity every comfort, every support, which I have procured for her, was owing. He is indeed the worthielt, braveft, nobleft of all human beings. O coufin, I have obligations to this gen.

tleman of fuch a nature!'

Mention nothing of obligations,' cries Jones cagerly; not a word: I infift upon it, not a word;' (meaning, I fuppofe, that he would not have him betray the affair of the robbery to any perfon) If,

by the trifle you have received from me, I have preferved a whole family, fure pleasure was never bought fo cheap.'

O, Sir,' cries the man, I with you could this inftant fee my houfe. If any perfon had ever a right to the pleasure you mention, I am convinced it is yourfelf. My coufin tells me, the acquainted you with the distress in which the found us. That, Sir, is all greatly removed, and chiefly by your goodnefs.- My children have now a bed to lie on, and they have- they haveeternal bleffings reward you for it— -they have bread to eat. My little boy is recovered; my wife is out of danger, and I am happy. All, all owing to you, Sir, and to my coufin here, one of the best of women. Indeed, Sir, I must fee you at my houfe. Indeed my wife muft fee you, and thank you. My children too must exprefs their gratitude. -Indeed, Sir, they are not without a fenfe of their obligation; but what is my feeling when I re flect to whom I owe, that they are now capable of expreffing their gratitude. O, Sir! the little hearts which you have warmed had now been cold as ice without your affistance.'

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Here Jones attempted to prevent the poor man from proceeding; but indeed the overflowing of his own heart would of itself have stopped his words. And now Mrs. Miller likewife began to pour forth thanksgivings, as well in her own name as in that of her coufin, and concluded with faying, 'fhe doubt⚫ed not but fuch goodness would meet a glorious re

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Jones anfwered, He had been fufficiently rewarded ‹ already. Your coufin's account, Madam,' faid he, hath given me a fenfation more pleasing than I have ever known. He must be a wretch who is unmoved at hearing fuch a story; how transporting then must be the thought of having happily acted a part in this • fcene! If there are men who cannot feel the delight: of giving happiness to others, I fincerely pity them, as they are incapable of tafting what is, in my opinion, a greater honour, a higher intereft, and a fweeter pleafure than the ambitious, the avaritious, or the voluptuous man can ever obtain.'

The hour of appointment being now come, Jones was forced to take a hafty leave, but not before he had heartily fhaken his friend by the hand, and defired to fee him again as foon as poffible, promifing, that he would himself take the first opportunity of vifiting him at his own houfe. He then ftept into his chair, and proceeded to lady Bellafton's, greatly exulting in the happinefs which he had procured to this poor family; nor could he forbear reflecting without horror on the dreadful confequences, which must have attended them, had he liftened rather to the voice of frict juftice than to that of mercy, when he was attacked on the high road.

Mrs. Miller fang forth the praifes of Jones during the whole evening, in which Mr. Anderfon, while he ftayed, fo paffionately accompanied her, that he was often on the very point of mentioning the circumftances of the robbery. However, he luckily recollected himfelf, and avoided an indifcretion, which would have been fo much the greater, as he knew Mrs. Miller to he extremely ftrict and nice in her principles. He was likewife well apprized of the loquacity of this lady;

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