and yet fuch was his gratitude, that it had almost got the better both of discretion and shame, and made him publish that which would have defamed his own character, rather than omit any circumstances which might do the fullest honour to his benefactor.

MR

CHA P. XI.

In which the reader will be furprifed.

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R. Jones was rather earlier than the time appointed, and earlier than the lady, whofe arrival was hindered not only by the diftance of the place where the dined, but by fome other crofs accidents, very vexatious to one in her fituation of mind. He was accordingly fhewn into the drawing-room, where he had not been many minutes before the door opened, and in came no other than Sophia herself, who had left the play before the end of the first act; for this, as we have already faid, being a new play, at which two large parties met, the one to damn, and the other to applaud, a violent uproar, and an engagement between the two parties, had fo terrified our heroine, that he was glad to put herfelf under the protection of a young gentleman, who fafely conveyed her to her chair.

As lady Bellafton had acquainted her that she should not be at home till late, Sophia, expecting to find no one in the room, came haftily in, and went directly to a glafs which almost fronted her, without once looking towards the upper end of the room, where the ftatue of Jones now stood motionless. In this glafs it was, after contemplating her own lovely face, that fhe first discovered the faid ftatue; when, inftantly turning about, fhe perceived the reality of the vifion; upon which the gave a violent fcream, and fcarce preferved herself from fainting, till Jones was able to inove to her and fupport her in his arms.

To paint the looks or thoughts of either of thefe lovers is beyond my power. As their fenfations, from their mutual filence, may be judged to have been too big for their own utterance, it cannot be fuppofed,

that

that I fhould be able to exprefs them: and the misfortune is, that few of my readers have been enough in love, to feel by their own hearts what past at this time in theirs.

After a fhort paufe, Jones with faultering accents faid, I fee, Madam, you are furprised'

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6

Surprised!' answered fhe; Oh heavens! Indeed, I am furprised. I almost doubt whether you are the • perfon you feem.' Indeed,' cries he, my Sophia, (pardon me, Madam, for this once calling you so), • I am that very wretched Jones, whom fortune, after fo many difappointments, hath at last kindly conducted to you. Oh! my Sophia, did you know the thousand torments I have fuffered in this long fruitless purfuit.- Purfuit of whom,' faid Sophia, a little recollecting herself, and affuming a referved air. Can you be fo cruel to ask that question?' cries Jones: Need I fay of you?' Of me!' anfwered Sophia: Hath Mr. Jones then any fuch important business with me?' To fome Madam,' cries Jones, this might feem an important bufinefs,' (giving her the pocket-book). I hope, Madam, you will find it of the fame value, as when it was lost.' Sophia took the pocket-book, and was going to speak, when he interrupted her thus ;- Let us not, I be

feech you, lofe one of thefe precious moments which fortune hath fo kindly fent us. O my Sophia, I have business of a much fuperior kind.Thus, on my knees, let me afk your pardon.'My pardon, cries fhe:- -Sure, Sir, after what is paft, you cannot expect after what I have heard-' I fcarce know what I fay,' anfwered Jones. By heavens! I fcarce with you should pardon me. my Sophia, henceforth never caft away a thought on fuch a wretch as I am. If any remembrance of me fhould ever intrude to give a moment's uneafinefs to that tender bofom, think of my unworthinefs; and let the remembrance of what past at Up⚫ton blot me for ever from your mind.'.

Sophia ftood trembling all this while. Her face was whiter than fnow, and her heart was throbbing through her fays. But, at the mention of Upton, a

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blush

blush arofe in her cheeks, and her eyes, which before fhe had fearce lifted up, were turned upon Jones with a glance of difdain. He understood this filent reproach, and replied to it thus: O my Sophia, my only love, you cannot hate or defpife me more for what happened there, than I do myfelf: but yet do me the juftice to think, that my heart was never unfaithful to you. That had no fhare in the folly I was guilty of it was even then unalterably yours. Though I despaired of poffeffing you, nay, almost of ever feeing you more, I doated still on your charming idea, and could feriously love no other woman. But, if my heart had not been engaged, fhe, into whose company I accidentally fell at that curfed place, was not an object of ferious love. Believe me, my angel, I never have seen her from that day to this, and never intend, or defire, to see her again.' Sophia in her heart was very glad to hear this; but forcing into her face an air of more coldness than she had yet affumed: Why,' faid fhe, Mr. Jones, do you take the trouble to make a defence, where you are not ac cufed? If I thought it worth while to accuse you, I have a charge of an unpardonable nature indeed.' What is it, for Heaven's fake?' answered Jones, trembling and pale, expecting to hear of his amour with lady Bellafton. Oh,' faid fhe, how is it poffible! can every thing noble, and every thing base, be lodged together in the fame bofom?' Lady Bellafton, and the ignominious circumftance of having been kept, rofe again in his mind, and stopt his mouth from any reply. Could I have expected,' proceeded Sophia, fuch treatment from you; nay from any gentleman, from any man of honour? To have my " name traduced in public; in inns, among the meanest vulgar! to have any little favours, that my unguarded heart may have too lightly betrayed me to grant, boafted of there! nay even to hear, that you had been forced to fly from my love!'

Nothing could equal Jones's furprife at these words of Sophia; but yet, not being guilty, he was much lefs embarraffed how to defend himfelf, than if the had touched that tender string, at which his confcience

had

had been alarmed. By fome examination he prefently found, that her fuppofing him guilty of fo fhocking an outrage against his love, and her reputation, was entirely owing to Partridge's talk at the inns, before landlords and fervants; for Sophia confeffed to him, it was from them that the received her intelligence. He had no very great difficulty to make her believe, that he was entirely innocent of an offence fo foreign to his character; but she had a great deal to hinder him from going inftantly home, and putting Partridge to death, which he more than once fwore he would do. This point being cleared up, they foon found themselves fo well pleafed with each other, that Jones quite forgot he had begun the converfation with conjuring her to give up all thoughts of him; and fhe was in a temper to have given ear to a petition of a very different nature; for, before they were aware, they had both gone fo far, that he let fall fome words that founded like a propofal of marriage: To which fhe replied, That, did not her duty to her father forbid her to follow her own inclination, ruin with him would be more welcome to her, than the most • affluent fortune with another man.' At the mention of the word ruin he started, let drop her hand, which he held for fome time, and, ftriking his breast with his own, cried out, Oh, Sophia, can I then ruin thee? No; by heavens, no! I never will act fo base a part. Deareft Sophia, whatever it cofts me, I will renounce you; I will give you up; I will tear all fuch hopes from my heart, as are inconfiftent with your real good. My love I will ever retain, but it fhall be in filence; it fhall be at a distance from you; it fhall be in fome foreign land, from whence no voice, no figh of my despair, fhall ever reach and disturb your ears. And when I am dead' He would have gone on, but was stopt by a flood of tears, which Sophia let fall in his bofom, upon which fhe leaned, without being able to fpeak one word. He kiffed them off, which, for fome moments, she allowed him to do without any resistance; but then, recollecting herself, gently withdrew out of his arms, and, to turn the discourse from a subject too tender,

and

and which the found the could not fupport, bethought herself to ask him a question the never had time to put to him before, How he came into that room?' He begun to ftammer, and would, in all probability, have raised her fufpicions by the anfwer he was going to give, when at once the door opened, and in came lady Bellafton.

Having advanced a few fteps, and feeing Jones and Sophia together, fhe fuddenly ftopt; when after a paufeof a few moments, recollecting herself with admirable prefence of mind, the faid,-though with fufficient indications of furprise both in voice and countenanceI thought, Mifs Western, you had been at the play?' Though Sophia had no opportunity of learning of Jones by what means he had difcovered her, yet as fhe had not the leaft fufpicion of the real truth, or that Jones and lady Bellafton were acquainted, fo the was very little confounded, and the lefs, as the lady had, in all their converfation on the fubject, entirely taken her fide against her father. With very little befitation, therefore, fhe went through the whole ftory of what had happened at the playhouse, and the cause of her hafty return.

The length of this narrative gave lady Bellafton an opportunity of rallying her spirits, and of confidering in what manner to act; and, as the behaviour of Sophi gave her hopes that Jones had not betrayed her, he put on an air of good-humour, and faid, ' 1 fhould not have broke in fo abruptly upon you, • Mifs Western, if I had known you had company.' Lady Bellafton fixed her eyes on Sophia whilft the fpoke these words: To which that poor young lady, having her face overspread with blufhes and confufion, answered in a stammering voice, I am fure, Madam, I fhall always think the honour of your ladyship's company I hope at leaft,' cries lady Bellafton, I interrupt no bufinefs.'- No, Madam,' anfwered Sophia, our business was at an end. Your ladyfhip may be pleased to remember, I have often • mentioned the loss of my pocket-book, which this • gentleman, having very luckily found, was fo kind to return it to me with the bill in it.'

Jones