to think you intend coming here again, I have fent Honour, though fo late at night, as fhe tells me the knows your lodgings, to prevent you. 1 charge you, by all the regard you have for me, not to think of vifiting here; for it will certainly be discovered; • nay, I almost doubt, from fome things which have dropt from her ladyfhip, that she is not already with⚫ out fome fufpicion. Something favourable, perhaps, may happen we must wait with patience; but I once more entreat you, if you have any concern for my ease, do not think of returning hither.'

This letter adminiftered the fame kind of confola tion to poor Jones, which Job formerly received from his friends. Befides difappointing all the hopes which he promised to himself from feeing Sophia, he was reduced to an unhappy dilemma, with regard to lady Bellafton; for there are fome certain engagements, which, as he well knew, do very difficultly admit of any excufe for the failure; and to go, after the strict prohibition from Sophia, he was not to be forced by any human power. At length after much deliberation, which during that night fupplied the place of fleep, he determined to feign himself fick; for this fuggefted itfelf as the only means of failing the appointed vifit, without incenfing lady Bellafton, which he had more than one reason of defiring to avoid.

The first thing however, which he did in the morning, was to write an answer to Sophia, which he inclosed in one to Honour. He then dispatched another to lady Bellafton, containing the above-mentioned excufe; and to this he foon received the following answer.

• I am vexed that I cannot fee you here this afternoon, but more concerted for the occafion; take great care of yourself, and have the best advice, and I hope there will be no danger. I am fo tormented all this morning with fools, that I have **fcarce a moment's time to write to you. Adieu.

P. S. I will endeavour to call on you this even

ing at nine.-Ee fure to be alone.'

Mr. Jones now received a vifit from Mrs. Miller, who, after fome formal introduction, began the following fpeech: I am very forry, Sir, to wait upon you on fuch an occafion; but I hope you will confider the ill confequence which it must be to the reputation of my poor girls, if my houfe fhould once be talked of as a house of ill fame. I hope you • won't think me therefore guilty of impertinence, if I beg you not to bring any more ladies in at that time of night. The clock had ftruck two before one of them went away.' • I do affure you, Madam,' faid Jones, the lady who was here laft night, and who ftaid the lateft, (for the other only brought me a letter), is a woman of very great fashion, and · my near relation.' 'I don't know what fashion she is of,' anfwered Mrs. Miller, but I am fure no woman of virtue, unless a very near relation indeed, would vifit a young gentleman at ten at night, and flay four hours in his room with him alone; befides, Sir, the behaviour of her chairmen fhews what the was; for they did nothing but make jefts all the evening in the entry, and asked Mr. Partridge, in the hearing of my own maid, if Madam intended to stay with his master all night; with a great deal of stuff not proper to be repeated. I have really a great refpect for you, Mr. Jones, upon your own account; nay, I have a very high obligation to you for your generofity to my coufin. Indeed I did not know how very good you had been till lately. Little did I imagine to what dreadful courfes the poor 'man's diftrefs had driven him. Little did I think, when you gave me the ten guineas, that you had given them to a highwayman! O heavens! What goodness have you fhewn? How you have preserved this family.The character which Mr. Allworthy hath formerly given me of you was, I find, ftrictly true. And indeed, if I had no obligation to you, my obligations to him are fuch, that on his account I fhould fhew you the utmost respect in my power. -Nay, believe me, dear Mr. Jones, if my daughters and my own reputation were out of the cafe, I fhould for your own fake be forry, that fo pretty a VOL. VIII.

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young

young gentleman should converfe with these women; • but, if you are refolved to do it, I must beg you to take another lodging; for I do not myself like to have fuch things carried on under my roof, but more especially upon the account of my girls, who have little, Heaven knows, befides their characters, to recommend them.' Jones started, and changed colour at the name of Allworthy. • Indeed, Mrs. Miller," anfwered he a little warmly, I do not take this at all kind. I will never bring any flander on your houfe; but I muft infift on feeing what company I pleafe in my own room; and, if that gives you any offence, I fhall, as foon as I am able, look for another lodging.' I am forry we must part then, Sir,' faid the ; but I am convinced Mr. Allworthy himself would never come within my doors, if he had the leaft fufpicion of my keeping an ill house'. Very well, Madam,' faid Jones. I hope, Sir,' faid fhe, you are not angry; for I would not for the world offend any of Mr. Allworthy's family. I have not flept a wink all night about this matter.' I am forry I have disturbed your reft, Madam,' said Jones; but I beg you will fend Partridge up to me immediately;' which the promised to do, and then with a very low courtsy retired.

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As foon as Partridge arrived, Jones fell upon him in the most outrageous manner. How often,' faid he, am I to fuffer for your folly, or rather for my own in keeping you? Is that tongue of yours ⚫ refolved upon my destruction ?’- What have I done, Sir?' answered affrighted Partridge. Who was it gave you authority to mention the ftory of the robbery, or that the man you saw here was the perfon??- I Sir cries Partridge. Now don't be guilty of a falfhood in denying it,' faid Jones. If I did mention fuch a matter,' anfwers Par. tridge, I am fure I thought no harm; for I fhould not have opened my lips, if it had not been to his own friends and relations, who, I imagined, would have let it go no farther.' But I have a much heavier charge against you,' cries Jones, than this. • How

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How durft you, after all the precautions I gave you,. mention the name of Mr. Allworthy in this houfe?"" Partridge denied that he ever had with many oaths. How elfe,' faid Jones, fhould Mrs. Miller be acquainted that there was any connection between him: and me? And it is but this moment fhe told me, fhe respected me on his account.'. O Lord, Sir,' faid Partridge, I defire only to be heard out; and to be fure, never was any thing fo unfortunate; hear me but out, and you will own how wrongfully you have accufed me. When Mrs. Honour came, down stairs laft night, fhe met me in the entry, and ⚫ asked me when ny mafter had heard from Mr. All-worthy; and to be fure Mrs. Miller heard the very 'words; and, the moment madam Honour was gone, fhe called me into the parlour to her.' 'Mr. Partridge,' fays fhe, what Mr. Alworthy is that the gentlewoman mentioned? Is it the great Mr. Allworthy of Somersetihire?' Upon my word, Madam, fays I, I know nothing of the matter.'Sure,' fays the, your mafter is not the Mr. Jones I have heard Mr. Allworthy talk of?' Upon my word, Madam,' fays I, I know nothing of the matter.'Then,' fays the, turning to her daughter Nancy, fays fhe, as fure as tenpence this is the very young gentleman, and he agrees exactly with the fquire's defcription.' The Lord above knows who it was ← told her; for I am the arrantest villain that ever walked upon two legs, if ever it came out of my mouth.. -I promife you, Sir, I can keep a fecret when I am defired.--Nay, Sir, fo far was I from telling her any thing about Mr. Allworthy, that I told her the very direct contrary; for though I did not contradict it at that moment, yet, as fecond thoughts they fay are best, so, when I came to con⚫fider that fome body must have informed her, thinks I to myself. I will put an end to the story; and fo I went back again into the parlour fome time afterwards, and, fays I, upon my word, fays I, whoever, fays I, told you that this gentleman was Mr. Jones; that is, fays I, that this Mr. Jones was that Mr. Jones, told you a confounded lie: and I beg Į iz fays.

fays I, you will never mention any fuch matter, fays I; for my mafter, fays 1, will think I must ⚫ have told you fo; and I defy any body in the house ever to fay, I mentioned any fuch word. To be certain, Sir, it is a wonderful thing, and I have been thinking with myfelf ever fince, how it was fhe came to know it; not but I faw an old woman here t'other day a begging at the door, who looked as like her we faw in Warwickshire, that caused all ⚫ that mifchief to us. To be sure it is never good to pafs by an old woman without giving her fomething, efpecially if the looks at you; for all the world ⚫ fhall never persuade me but that they have a great power to do mifchief, and to be fure I fhall never fee an old woman again, but I fhall think to myfelf, Infandum, Regina, jubes renovare dolorem.' The fimplicity of Partridge fet Jones a laughing, and put a final end to his anger, which had indeed feldom any long duration in his mind; and, instead of commenting on his defence, he told him, he intended prefently to leave thofe lodgings, and ordered him to go and endeavour to get him others.

CHAP. IV.

Which we hope will be very attentively perufed by young people of both fexes.

PA

you

ARTRIDGE had no fooner left Mr. Jones, than Mr. Nightingale, with whom he had now contracted a great intimacy, came to him, and after a fhort falutation said, · So, Tom, I hear had company very late last night. Upon my foul, you are a happy fellow, who have not been in town above a fortnight, and can keep chairs waiting at your door till two in the morning.' He then ran on with much common place raillery of the fame kind, till Jones at last interrupted him, faying, I fuppofe you have received all this information from Mrs. Miller, who hath been up here a little while ago give me warning. The good woman is afraid, it feems, of the reputation of her daughters.' 0 fhe is wonderfully nice,' fays Nightingale, upen

to

that