'Booth doth not know of the challenge, I don't see why 'he ever should, any more than your giving him the lie 'just now; but that he shall never have from me; nor, I believe, from this gentleman; for indeed, if he should, it 'would be incumbent upon him to cut your throat.'

Lookye, doctor,' said James, 'I do not deserve the ' unkind suspicion you just now threw out against me. 'I never thirsted after any man's blood; and, as for what hath passed since this discovery hath happened, I may, perhaps, not think it worth my while to trouble myself any more about it.'

The doctor was not contented with perhaps, he insisted on a firm promise, to be bound with the colonel's honour. This at length he obtained, and then departed well satisfied.

In fact, the colonel was ashamed to avow the real cause of the quarrel to this good man, or, indeed, to his brother Bath, who would not only have condemned him equally with the doctor, but would possibly have quarrelled with him on his sister's account, whom, as the reader must have observed, he loved above all things; and in plain truth, though the colonel was a brave man, and dared to fight, yet he was altogether as willing to let it alone; and this made him now and then give a little way to the wrongheadedness of colonel Bath, who, with all the other principles of honour and humanity, made no more of cutting the throat of a man upon any of his punctilios than a butcher doth of killing sheep.

CHAPTER V.

What passed at the bailiff's house.

THE doctor now set forwards to his friend Booth, and, as he passed by the door of his attorney in the way, he called upon him, and took him with him.

The meeting between him and Booth need not be expatiated on. The doctor was really angry, and though he deferred his lecture to a more proper opportunity, yet as he was no dissembler (indeed, he was incapable of any disguise) he could not put on a show of that heartiness with which he had formerly used to receive his friend.

Booth at last began himself in the following manner: Doctor, I am really ashamed to see you; and, if you 'knew the confusion of my soul on this occasion, I am 'sure you would pity rather than upbraid me-And yet I can say, with great sincerity, I rejoice in this last instance of my shame, since I am like to reap the 'most solid advantage from it.' The doctor stared at this, and Booth thus proceeded: 'Since I have been in 'this wretched place I have employed my time almost ' entirely in reading over a series of sermons, which are 'contained in that book,' (meaning Dr. Barrow's works, which then lay on the table before him) 'in proof of the 'Christian religion, and so good an effect have they had upon me, that I shall, I believe, be the better man for 'them as long as I live. I have not a doubt (for I own 'I have had such) which remains now unsatisfied.—If 'ever an angel might be thought to guide the pen of a 'writer, surely the pen of that great and good man had such an assistant.' The doctor readily concurred in the praises of Dr. Barrow, and added 'You say you

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'have had your doubts, young gentleman; indeed, I did 'not know that—And pray, what were your doubts?' 'Whatever they were, Sir,' said Booth, they are now 'satisfied, as I believe those of every impartial and sen'sible reader will be, if he will, with due attention, read ' over these excellent sermons.' 'Very well,' answered the doctor, though I have conversed, I find, with a false brother hitherto, I am glad you are reconciled to truth at last, and I hope your future faith 'will have some influence on your future life.' 'I need 'not tell you, Sir,' replied Booth, that will always be 'the case, where faith is sincere, as I assure you mine is. 'Indeed, I never was a rash disbeliever; my chief doubt เ was founded on this, that, as men appeared to me to act 'entirely from their passions, their actions could have 'neither merit nor demerit.' 'A very worthy conclusion truly,' cries the doctor; 'but if men act, as I believe 'they do, from their passions, it would be fair to conclude 'that religion to be true which applies immediately to 'the strongest of these passions, hope and fear; choosing rather to rely on its rewards and punishments than on 'that native beauty of virtue, which some of the ancient เ philosophers thought proper to recommend to their disciples. But we will defer this discourse till another opportunity; at present, as the devil hath thought proper to set you free, I will try if I can prevail on the 'bailiff to do the same.'

The doctor had not really so much money in town as Booth's debt amounted to, and therefore, though he would otherwise very willingly have paid it, he was forced to give bail to the action. For which purpose, as the bailiff was a man of great form, he was obliged to get another person to be bound with him. This person, however, the attorney undertook to procure, and immediately set out in quest of him.

During his absence, the bailiff came into the room, and, addressing himself to the doctor, said, 'I think, Sir, your name is doctor Harrison.' The doctor immediately acknowledged his name. Indeed, the bailiff had seen it to a bail-bond before. Why then, Sir,' said the bailiff, 'there is a man above, in a dying condition, that desires 'the favour of speaking to you; I believe he wants you 'to pray by him.'

The bailiff himself was not more ready to execute his office on all occasions for his fee, than the doctor was to execute his for nothing. Without making any farther inquiry therefore into the condition of the man, he immediately went up stairs.

As soon as the bailiff returned down stairs, which was immediately after he had lodged the doctor in the room, Booth had the curiosity to ask him, who this man was. Why, I don't know much of him,' said the bailiff, 'I ' had him once in custody before now, I remember it was 'when your honour was here last; and now I remember, too, he said that he knew your honour very well. Indeed, I had some opinion of him at that time; for he spent his money very much like a gentleman; but I 'have discovered since, that he is a poor fellow, and 'worth nothing. He is a mere shy-cock, I have had the 'stuff about me this week, and could never get at him till 'this morning; nay, I don't believe we should ever have 'found out his lodgings, had it not been for the attorney 'that was here just now, who gave us information. And so we took him this morning by a comical way enough. 'For we dressed up one of my men in women's clothes, 'who told the people of the house that he was his sister, 'just come to town; for we were told by the attorney 'that he had such a sister, upon which he was led up stairs; and so kept the door-a-jar till I and another 'rushed in. Let me tell you, captain, there are as good

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stratagems made use of in our business as any in the army.

'But pray, Sir,' said Booth, 'did not you tell me this morning that the poor fellow was desperately wounded; nay, I think you told the doctor that he was a dying 'man?'

'I had like to have forgot that,' cries the bailiff.-' Nothing would serve the gentleman but that he must make เ resistance, and he gave my man a blow with a stick; 'but I soon quieted him by giving him a wipe or two 'with a hanger. Not that, I believe, I have done his 'business neither; but the fellow is faint-hearted, and the เ surgeon, I fancy, frightens him more than he need.But, however, let the worst come to the worst, the law is all on my side, and it is only se fendendo. The เ attorney, that was here just now, told me so, and bid me 'fear nothing; for that he would stand my friend, and ' undertake the cause; and he is a devilish good one at a ' defence at the Old-Bailey, I promise you. I have known 'him bring off several that every body thought would ' have been hanged.'

'But suppose you should be acquitted,' said Booth; 'would not the blood of this poor wretch lie a little 'heavy at your heart?'

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sure,

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เ Why should it, captain?' said the bailiff. 'all done in a lawful way? Why will people resist the law when they know the consequence? to be man was to kill another, in an unlawful manner as it were, and what the law calls murder, that is quite and 'clear another thing. I should not care to be convicted 'of murder any more than another man. Why now, captain, you have been abroad in the wars, they tell me, and, to be sure, must have killed men in your time. Pray, was you ever afraid afterwards of seeing their 'ghosts?'

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