' if I said any thing which could put any human creature ' into a passion; but you are so wrong-headed every way.'

Let me beg you, Madam,' said the parson, ' not 'to irritate his worship.'

'Irritate him?' said the lady;-Sure, you are 'as great a fool as himself. Well, brother, since you 'have promised not to interfere, I will once

more

' undertake the management of my niece. Lord have mercy upon all affairs which are under the directions The head of one woman is worth a thousand

' of men!

' of yours.' And now having summoned a servant to shew her to Sophia, she departed, bearing the key with her.

She was no sooner gone, than the squire (having first shut the door) ejaculated twenty bitches, and as many hearty curses against her, not sparing himself for having ever thought of her estate; but added, 'Now one hath 'been a slave so long, it would be pity to lose it at last, 'for want of holding out a little longer. The bitch 'can't live for ever, and I know I am down for it upon เ the will.'

The parson greatly commended this resolution; and now the squire having ordered in another bottle, which was his usual method when any thing either pleased or vexed him, did, by drinking plentifully of this medicinal julap, so totally wash away his choler, that his temper was become perfectly placid and serene, when Mrs. Western returned with Sophia into the room. The young lady had on her hat and capuchin, and the aunt acquainted Mr. Western, that she intended to take her niece with her to her own lodgings; for, indeed, 'brother,' says she, these rooms are not fit to receive 'a Christian soul in.'

เ

'Very well, Madam,' quoth Western, 'whatever you

please. The girl can never be in better hands than yours; and the parson here can do me the justice to say, that I have said fifty times behind your back, 'that you was one of the most sensible women in the ' world.'

To this,' cries the parson, 'I am ready to bear testimony.'

'Nay, brother,' says Mrs. Western, 'I have always, 'I'm sure, given you as favourable a character. You 'must own you have a little too much hastiness in your temper; but when you will allow yourself time to เ reflect, I never knew a man more reasonable.'

'Why then, sister, if you think so,' said the squire, 'here's your good health with all my heart. I am a 'little passionate sometimes, but I scorn to bear any 'malice. Sophy, do Sophy, do you be a good girl, and do every thing your aunt orders you.'

'I have not the least doubt of her,' answered Mrs. Western. She hath had already an example before 'her eyes, in the behaviour of that wretch her cousin เ Harriet, who ruined herself by neglecting my advice.O brother, what think you? You was hardly gone 'out of hearing, when you set out for London, when 'who should arrive but that impudent fellow with the 'odious Irish name-that Fitzpatrick. He broke in abruptly upon me without notice, or I would not have seen him. He ran on a long, unintelligible story ' about his wife, to which he forced me to give him a hearing; but I made him very little answer, and ' delivered him the letter from his wife, which I bid him เ answer himself. I suppose the wretch will endeavour 'to find us out; but I beg you will not see her, for I am 'determined I will not.'

'I see her!' answered the squire; 'you need not เ fear me. I'll ge no encouragement to such undutiful

'wenches. It is well for the fellow her husband, I was 'not at huome. Od rabbit it, he should have taken a dance thru the horse-pond, I promise un. You zee, Sophy, what undutifulness brings volks to. 'an example in your own family.'

เ

'Brother,' cries the aunt, 'you need not 'niece by such odious repetitions.

You have

shock my

I

Why will you not 'leave every thing entirely to me?' 'Well, well ; ; wull, I wull,' said the squire.

And now Mrs. Western, luckily for Sophia, put an end to the conversation, by ordering chairs to be called. I say luckily; for had it continued much longer, fresh matter of dissension would, most probably, have arisen between the brother and sister; between whom education and sex made the only difference; for both were equally violent, and equally positive; they had both a vast affection for Sophia; and both a sovereign contempt for each other.

CHAPTER V.

In which Jones receives a letter from Sophia, and goes to a play with Mrs. Miller and Partridge.

THE arrival of Black George in town, and the good offices which that grateful fellow had promised to do for his old benefactor, greatly comforted Jones in the midst of all the anxiety and uneasiness which he had suffered on the account of Sophia; from whom, by the means of the said George, he received the following answer to his letter, which Sophia, to whom the use pen, ink, and paper was restored with her liberty,

of

wrote the very evening when she departed from her confinement:

consent.

'As I do not doubt your sincerity in what you write, you will be pleased to hear that some of my afflictions are at an end, by the arrival of my aunt Western, with 'whom I am at present, and with whom I enjoy all the liberty I can desire. One promise my aunt hath in'sisted on my making, which is, that I will not see or เ converse with any person without her knowledge and This promise I have most solemnly given, ' and shall most inviolably keep: and though she had not expressly forbidden me writing, yet that must be เ an omission from forgetfulness; or this, perhaps, is included in the word conversing. However, as I cannot 'but consider this as a breach of her generous confidence in my honour, you cannot expect that I shall, after this, 'continue to write myself, or to receive letters, without 'her knowledge. A promise is with me a very sacred thing, and to be extended to every thing understood 'from it, as well as to what is expressed by it; and this 'consideration may perhaps, on reflection, afford you 'some comfort. But why should I mention a comfort to เ of this kind? For though there is one thing in you 'which I can never comply with the best of fathers, yet

am I firmly resolved never to act in defiance of him, or 'to take any step of consequence without his consent. 'A firm persuasion of this must teach you to divert your 'thoughts from what fortune hath (perhaps) made im'possible. This your own interest persuades you. This may reconcile, I hope, Mr. Allworthy to you; and if it will, you have my injunctions to pursue it. Acci'dents have laid some obligations on me, and your good 'intentions probably more. Fortune may, perhaps, be

some time kinder to us both than at present. Believe this, that I shall always think of you as I think you 'deserve, and am,

• Sir,

'Your obliged servant,

'SOPHIA WESTERN.'

'I charge you write to me no more-at present at . least; and accept this, which is now of no service to me, which I know you must want, and think you ' owe the trifle only to that fortune by which you • found it.'*

A child who hath just learnt his letters, would have spelt this letter out in less time than Jones took in reading it. The sensations it occasioned were a mixture of joy and grief; somewhat like what divide the mind of a good man, when he peruses the will of his deceased friend, in which a large legacy, which his distresses make the more welcome, is bequeathed to him. Upon the whole, however, he was more pleased than displeased; and indeed the reader may probably wonder that he was displeased at all; but the reader is not quite so much in love as was poor Jones; and love is a disease, which, though it may in some instances resemble a consumption (which it sometimes causes), in others proceeds in direct opposition to it, and particularly in this, that it never flatters itself, or sees any one symptom in a favourable light.

One thing gave him complete satisfaction, which was, that his mistress had regained her liberty, and was now with a lady where she might at least assure herself of a decent treatment. Another comfortable circumstance, * Meaning, perhaps, the bank-bill for 100l.

VOL. VII.

D D