The joy which Mrs. Miller now felt bereft her of the power of speech, and might perhaps have deprived her of her senses, if not of life, had not a friendly shower of tears come seasonably to her relief. At length recovering so far from her transport as to be able to speak, she cried: And is my dear Mr. Jones then your nephew, 'Sir? and not the son of this lady? And are your eyes เ opened to him at last? And shall I live to see him as เ happy as he deserves?' 'He certainly is my nephew,' says Allworthy, and I hope all the rest.'-' And is this 'the dear good woman, the person,' cries she, to whom all this discovery is owing?'' She is indeed,' says Allworthy. Why then,' cried Mrs. Miller upon her knees, may heaven shower down its choicest blessings upon her head, and for this one good action forgive her 'all her sins, be they never so many!'

Mrs. Waters then informed them, that she believed Jones would very shortly be released; for that the surgeon was gone, in company with a nobleman, to the justice who committed him, in order to certify that Mr. Fitzpatrick was out of all manner of danger, and to procure his prisoner his liberty.

Allworthy said he should be glad to find his nephew there at his return home; but that he was then obliged to go on some business of consequence. He then called to a servant to fetch him a chair, and presently left the two ladies together.

Mr. Blifil hearing the chair ordered, came down stairs to attend upon his uncle; for he never was deficient in such acts of duty. He asked his uncle if he was going out; which is a civil way of asking a man, whither he is going to which the other making no answer, he again desired to know, when he would be pleased to return?— Allworthy made no answer to this neither, till he was just going into his chair, and then turning about, he said,

Harkye, Sir, do you find out, before my return, the 'letter which your mother sent me on her deathbed.' Allworthy then departed, and left Blifil in a situation to be envied only by a man who is just going to be hanged.

CHAPTER IX.

A further continuation.

ALLWORTHY took an opportunity whilst he was in the chair, of reading the letter from Jones to Sophia, which Western delivered him; and there were some expressions in it concerning himself, which drew tears from his eyes. At length he arrived at Mr. Western's, and was introduced to Sophia.

When the first ceremonies were past, and the gentleman and lady had taken their chairs, a silence of some minutes ensued; during which the latter, who had been prepared for the visit by her father, sat playing with her fan, and had every mark of confusion both in her countenance and behaviour. At length Allworthy, who was himself a little disconcerted, began thus: 'I am afraid, Miss Western, my family hath been the occasion of giving you some uneasiness; to which, I fear, I have innocently become more instrumental than I intended. 'Be assured, Madam, had I at first known how disagree'able the proposals had been, I should not have suffered you to have been so long persecuted. I hope, therefore, you will not think the design of this visit is to trouble you with any further solicitations of that kind, but entirely to relieve you from them.'

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'Sir,' said Sophia, with a little modest hesitation, this behaviour is most kind and generous, and such

as I could expect only from Mr. Allworthy; but as เ you have been so kind to mention this matter, you 'will pardon me for saying, it hath, indeed, given me เ great uneasiness, and hath been the occasion of my suffering much cruel treatment from a father, who was, 'till that unhappy affair, the tenderest and fondest of 'all parents. I am convinced, Sir, you are too good เ ' and generous to resent my refusal of your nephew. "Our inclinations are not in our own power; and what'ever may be his merit, I cannot force them in his 'favour.' 'I assure you, most amiable young lady,' said Allworthy, 'I am capable of no such resentment, 'had the person been my own son, and had I enter'tained the highest esteem for him. For you say, truly, 'Madam, we cannot force our inclinations, much less can they be directed by another.' 'Oh! Sir,' answered Sophia, every word you speak proves you deserve that good, that great, that benevolent character the whole เ world allows you. I assure you, Sir, nothing less 'than the certain prospect of future misery could have 'made me resist the commands of my father.' 'I 'sincerely believe you, Madam,' replied Allworthy,

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and I heartily congratulate you on your prudent 'foresight, since by so justifiable a resistance you have 'avoided misery indeed!' 'You speak now, Mr. Allworthy,' cries she, with a delicacy which few men 'are capable of feeling! but surely, in my opinion, to lead our lives with one to whom we are indifferent, 'must be a state of wretchedness-Perhaps that wretchเ edness would be even increased by a sense of the 'merits of an object to whom we cannot give our 'affections. If I had married Mr. Blifil

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'don my interrupting you, Madam,' answered Allworthy, but I cannot bear the supposition.-Believe me, Miss Western, I rejoice from my heart, I rejoice

VOL. VII.

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in your escape.--I have discovered the wretch for 'whom you have suffered all this cruel violence from เ your father, to be a villain.' 'How, Sir!' cries Sophia, you must believe this surprises me.'me.'—' It hath surprised me, Madam,' answered Allworthy, and so it will the world-But I have acquainted you with 'the real truth.' 'Nothing but truth,' says Sophia, can, I am convinced, come from the lips of Mr. Allworthy.--Yet, Sir, such sudden, such unexpected news -Discovered, you say--may villany be ever so!''You will soon enough hear the story,' cries Allworthy; at present let us not mention so detested 'a name. I have another matter of a very serious 'nature to propose.-O! Miss Western, I know your vast worth, nor can I so easily part with the ambition ' of being allied to it.—I have a near relation, Madam, a young man whose character is, I am convinced, the very opposite to that of this wretch, and whose fortune 'I will make equal to what his was to have been. Could I, Madam, hope you would admit a visit from him?' Sophia, after a minute's silence, answered, 'I will deal 'with the utmost sincerity with Mr. Allworthy. His 'character, and the obligation I have just received from him, demand it. I have determined at present to listen to no such proposals, from any person. My only 'desire is to be restored to the affection of my father,

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and to be again the mistress of his family. This, 'Sir, I hope to owe to your good offices. Let me be'seech you, let me conjure you by all the goodness 'which I, and all who know you, have experienced; do not the very moment when you have released me 'from one persecution, do not engage me in another as 'miserable and as fruitless.' 'Indeed, Miss Western,' replied Allworthy, 'I am capable of no such conduct; and if this be your resolution, he must submit to the

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disappointment, whatever torments he may suffer under ' it.' 'I must smile now, Mr. Allworthy,' answered Sophia, when you mention the torments of a man 'whom I do not know, and who can consequently have so little acquaintance with me.' 'Pardon me, dear young lady,' cries Allworthy, 'I begin now to be 'afraid he hath had too much acquaintance, for the repose of his future days; since, if ever man was 'capable of a sincere, violent, and noble passion, such, 'I am convinced, is my unhappy nephew's for Miss 'Western.' A nephew of yours, Mr. Allworthy!' answered Sophia.

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of him before."

It is surely strange, I never heard 'Indeed! Madam,' cries Allworthy, it is only the circumstance of his being my nephew 'to which you are a stranger, and which, till this day, was a secret to me.-Mr. Jones, who has long loved you, he he is my nephew!' Mr. Jones your 'nephew, Sir!' cries Sophia; 'can it be possible?''He is, indeed, Madam,' answered Allworthy; he is my own sister's son-as such I shall always own him; nor am I ashamed of owning him. I am much more 'ashamed of my past behaviour to him; but I was as ignorant of his merit as of his birth. Indeed, Miss Western, I have used him cruelly-Indeed I have.'

Here the good man wiped his eyes, and after a short pause proceeded 'I never shall be able to re'ward him for his sufferings without your assistance. เ --Believe me, most amiable young lady, I must 'have a great esteem of that offering which I make 'to your worth. I know he hath been guilty of faults; 'but there is great goodness of heart at the bottom. 'Believe me, Madam, there is.'-Here he stopped, seeming to expect an answer, which he presently received from Sophia, after she had a little recovered herself from the hurry of spirits into which so strange