terday; Allworthy consented (as to be sure he must with joy); and this afternoon, I tell you, you are to put on all your best airs.' This afternoon!' cries Sophia. Dear aunt, you frighten me out of my senses.'O! my dear,' said the aunt, 'you ' will soon come to yourself again; for he is a 'charming young fellow, that's the truth on't.'Nay, I will own,' says Sophia, I know none with such perfections. So brave, and yet so gentle; so witty, yet so inoffensive; so humane, so civil, so genteel, so handsome! What signifies his being 'base born, when compared with such qualifications as these?' Base born! what do you mean?' said the aunt; 'Mr. Blifil base born!' Sophia turned instantly pale at this name, and faintly repeated it. Upon which the aunt cried, Mr. Blifil! ay, Mr. Blifil; of whom else have we been talking?' Good ' heavens !' answered Sophia, ready to sink, of Mr. 'Jones, I thought; I am sure I know no other who • deserves 'I protest,' cries the aunt, you̟ frighten me in your turn. Is it Mr. Jones, and not 'Mr. Blifil, who is the object of your affection?'→ Mr. Blifil!' repeated Sophia, Sure it is impossible you can be in earnest; if you are, I am the most 'miserable woman alive.' Mrs. Western now stood a few moments silent, while sparks of fiery rage flashed from her eyes. At length, collecting all her force of voice, she thundered forth in the following articulate sounds:

And is it possible you can think of disgracing your family by allying yourself to a bastard? Can the blood of the Westerns submit to such conta 'mination! If you have not sense sufficient to re'strain such monstrous inclinations, I thought the pride of our family would have prevented you from giving the least encouragement to so base an 'affection; much less did I imagine you would ever I have had the assurance to own it to my face.'

Madam,' answered Sophia, trembling, what I

have said, you have extorted from me. I do not remember to have ever mentioned the name of Mr. Jones, with approbation, to any one before; nor ⚫ should I now, had I not conceived he had had your ' approbation. Whatever were my thoughts of that poor unhappy young man, I intended to have carried them with me to my grave. To that grave 'where only now, I find, I am to seek repose.'Here she sunk down in her chair, drowned in her tears, and, in all the moving silence of unutterable grief, presented a spectacle which must have affected almost the hardest heart.

All this tender sorrow, however, raised no compassion in her aunt. On the contrary, she now fell into the most violent rage. And I would rather,' she cried, in a most vehement voice, follow you to 'your grave, than I would see you disgrace yourself and your family by such a match. O heavens! could I have ever suspected that I should live to 'hear a niece of mine declare a passion for such a fellow? You are the first,-yes, miss Western, you are the first of your name who ever entertained so groveling a thought. A family so noted for the prudence of its women.'-Here she ran on a full quarter of an hour, till having exhausted her breath, rather than her rage, she concluded with threatening to go immediately and acquaint her brother.

Sophia then threw herself at her feet, and laying hold of her hands, begged her, with tears, to conceal what she had drawn from her; urging the violence of her father's temper, and protesting that no inclinations of hers should ever prevail with her to do any thing which might offend him.

6

: Mrs. Western stood a moment looking at her, and then, having recollected herself, said, That on one ' consideration only she would keep the secret from her brother; and this was, that Sophia should pro\mise to entertain Mr. Blifil that very afternoon as

' her lover, and to regard him as the person who 'was to be her husband.'

Poor Sophia was too much in her aunt's power to deny her any thing positively; she was obliged to promise that she would see Mr. Blifil, and be as civil to him as possible; but begged her aunt that the match might not be hurried on. She said, Mr. Blifil was by no means agreeable to her, and she hoped her father would be prevailed on not to make her the most wretched of women.'

Mrs. Western assured her, That the match was entirely agreed upon, and that nothing could or should prevent it. I must own,' said she, ‘I 'looked on it as on a matter of indifference; nay, perhaps, had some scruples about it before, which were actually got over by my thinking it highly agreeable to your own inclinations; but now I regard it as the most eligible thing in the world: nor shall there be, if I can prevent it, a moment of 'time lost on the occasion,'

Sophia replied, Delay at least, madam, I may expect from both your goodness and my father's. Surely you will give me time to endeavour to get 'the better of so strong a disinclination as I have at 'present to this person.

The aunt answered, She knew too much of the world to be so deceived; that as she was sensible another man had her affections, she should persuade Mr.Western to hasten the match as much as possi'ble. It would be bad politics indeed,' added she, to protract a siege when the enemy's army is at ⚫ hand, and in danger of relieving it. No, no, Sophy,' said she,' as I am convinced you have a violent passion, which you can never satisfy with honour, I will do all I can to put your honour out of the care of your family: for when you are married, ⚫ those matters will belong only to the consideration ' of your husband. I hope, child, you will always 'have prudence enough to act as becomes you;

'but if you should not, marriage hath saved many a woman from ruin.'

Sophia well understood what her aunt meant ; but did not think proper to make her an answer. However, she took a resolution to see Mr. Blifil, and to behave to him as civilly as she could, for on that condition only she obtained a promise from her aunt to keep secret the liking which her ill for tune, rather than any scheme of Mrs. Western, had unhappily drawn from her.

CHAP. VI.

Containing a dialogue between Sophia and Mrs. Honour, which may a little relieve those tender affections which the foregoing scene may have raised in the mind of a good-natured reader.

MRS. Western having obtained that promise from

her niece which we have seen in the last chapter, withdrew; and presently after arrived Mrs. Honour. She was at work in a neighbouring apart ment, and had been summoned to the keyhole by some vociferation in the preceding dialogue, where she had continued during the remaining part of it. At her entry into the room, she found Sophia standing motionless, with the tears trickling from her eyes. Upon which she immediately ordered a proper quantity of tears into her own eyes, and then began: O gemini! my dear lady, what is the mat'ter?' 'Nothing,' cries Sophia. - Nothing! O dear madam!' answers Mrs. Honour, you must not tell me that, when your la'ship is in this taking, and when there hath been such a preamble be'tween your la'ship and madam Western.'-'Don't 'tease me,' cries Sophia; I tell you nothing is the matter. Good heavens! why was I born!'Nay, madam,' says Mrs. Honour, you shall never 'persuade me that your la'ship can lament your

self so for nothing. To be sure, I am but a servant; but to be sure I have been always faithful to your la'ship, and to be sure I would serve your la'ship with my life.''My dear Honour,' says Sophia, 'tis not in thy power to be of any service I am irretrievably undone.' Heaven 'forbid,' answered the waiting-woman: but if I 'can't be of any service to you, pray tell me, ma'dam,-it will be some comfort to me to know, 'pray, dear ma'am, tell me what's the matter.

to me.

My father,' cries Sophia, is going to marry me to a man I both despise and hate.'O dear 'ma'am,' answered the other, who is this wicked man? for to be sure he is very bad, or your la'ship would not despise him.'' His name is poison to my tongue,' replied Sophia: thou wilt know it too soon.' Indeed, to confess the truth, she knew it already, and therefore was not very inquisitive as to that point. She then proceeded thus: I don't 'pretend to give your la'ship advice, whereof your la'ship knows much better than I can pretend to, being but a servant; but, i-fackins! no father in England should marry me against my consent. And, to be sure, the squire is so good, that if he ' did but know your la'ship despises and hates the young man, to be sure he would not desire you to marry him. And if your la'ship would but give me leave to tell my master so. To be sure, it would be more properer to come from your own mouth; but as your la'ship doth not care to foul 'your tongue with his nasty name.'- You are mis'taken, Honour,' says Sophia; my father was determined before he ever thought fit to mention it to me.'-More shame for him,' cries Honour; you are to go to bed to him, and not master: and thof a man may be a very proper man, yet every 'woman mayn't think him handsome alike. I am sure my master would never act in this manner of his own head. I wish some people would trouble