grief, presented a spectacle which must have affected almost the hardest heart. เ 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 en'tertained 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 that might offend him. 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 promise to entertain Mr. Blifil that very afternoon as her lover, and to regard him as the person who was to be her husband. her Poor Sophia was too much in her aunt's power to deny 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.' เ เ เ 6 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 possible. '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, 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.' เ เ 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 fortune, rather than any scheme of Mrs. Western, had unhappily drawn from her. CHAPTER 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 apartment, 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 matter ?'— 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 between 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 yourself เ 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 to me. I am irretrievably undone.' - Heaven forbid,' answered the waiting-woman: 'but 'if I can't be of any service to you, pray tell me, Madam, เ เ '-it will be some comfort to me to know,-pray, dear Ma'am, tell me what's the matter.'-' 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 เ 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 เ 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 mistaken, Honour,' says Sophia; my father was determined before he ever เ thought fit to mention it to me.'-' More shame for him,' cries Honour; 'you are to go to bed to him, and เ 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 'themselves only with what belongs to them; they would not, I believe, like to be served so, if it was their own " case; for though I am a maid, I can easily believe as 'how all men are not equally agreeable. And what signifies your la'ship having so great a fortune, if you 'can't please yourself with the man you think most 'handsomest? Well, I say nothing; but to be sure it เ เ เ เ เ your is pity some folks had not been better born: nay, as for 'that matter, I should not mind it myself; but then there ' is not so much money: and what of that? your la'ship hath money enough for both; and where can your la'ship bestow fortune better? for to be sure every เ one must allow that he is the most handsomest, charmingest, finest, tallest, properest man in the world.' 'What do you mean by running on in this manner to me?' cries Sophia, with a very grave countenance. 'Have I ever given any encouragement for these liber'ties ?'—' Nay, Ma'am, I ask pardon; I meant no harm,' answered she; but to be sure the poor gentleman hath run in my head ever since I saw him this morning. To be sure, if your la'ship had but seen him just now, you 'must have pitied him. Poor gentleman! I wishes some misfortune hath not happened to him; for he hath been walking about with his arms across, and looking so 'melancholy, all this morning: I vow and protest it 'made me almost cry to see him.'-' To see whom?' says Sophia. Poor Mr. Jones,' answered Honour. 'See 'him! why, where did you see him?' cries Sophia. 'By the canal, Ma'am,' says Honour. 'There he hath 'been walking all this morning, and at last there he laid ' himself down: I believe he lies there still. To be sure, if it had not been for my modesty, being a maid as 'I am, I should have gone and spoke to him. Do, Ma'am, let me go and see, only for a fancy, whether he is there still.'-Pugh!' says Sophia. 'There ! no, เ no: what should he do there? He is gone before this 'time, to be sure. Besides, why-what-why should you go to see?-besides, I want you for something else. 'Go, fetch me my hat and gloves. I shall walk with my aunt in the grove before dinner.' Honour did immediately as she was bid, and Sophia put her hat on; when, looking in the glass, she fancied the ribbon with which |