such fellow have to do with me? If he wants an order for baggage-waggons, I am no justice of peace here, nor can I grant a warrant. Let un come up then, if he must speak to me.'

A very genteel man now entered the room; who, having made his compliments to the 'squire, and desired the favour of being alone with him, delivered himself as follows:

Sir, I am come to wait upon you by the command of my Lord Fellamar; but with a very different mes. sage from what I suppose you expect, after what passed the other night.'

My lord who? cries the 'squire; I never heard the name o'un.'

'His lordship,' said the gentleman, is willing to impute every thing to the effect of liquor, and the most trifling acknowledgement of that kind will set every thing right; for, as he hath the most violent attachment to your daughter, you, sir, are the last person upon earth from whom he would resent an affront; and happy is it for you both that he hath given such public demonstrations of his courage, as to be able to put up with an affair of this kind, without danger of any imputation on his honour. All he desires, therefore, is, that you will before me make some acknowledgement; the slightest in the world will be sufficient: and he intends this afternoon to pay his respects to you, in order to obtain your leave of visiting the young lady on the footing of lover.'

I don't understand much of what you say, sir,' said the 'squire; but I suppose, by what you talk about my daughter, that this is the lord which my cousin Lady Bellaston mentioned to me, and said something about his courting my daughter. If so be, that how, that be the case--you may give my service to his lordship, and tell un the girl is disposed of already.'

Perhaps, sir,' said the gentleman, you are not

sufficiently apprised of the greatness of this offer. I believe such a person, title, and fortune, would be no where refused.'

Lookee, sir,' answered the 'squire, to be very plain, my daughter is bespoke already; but if she was not, I would not marry her to a lord upon any account; I hate all fords: they are a parcel of courtiers and Hanoverians, and I will have nothing to do with them.'

Well, sir,' said the gentleman, if that is your resolution, the message I am to deliver to you is, that my lord desires the favour of your company this morning in Hyde Park.'

'You may tell my lord,' answered the 'squire, 'that I am busy, and cannot come. I have enough to look after at home, and can't stir abroad on any account.'

'I am sure, sir,' quoth the other, you are too much a gentleman to send such a message: you will not, I am convinced, have it said of you, that, af ter having affronted a noble peer, you refuse him satisfaction. His lordship would have been willing, from his great regard to the young lady, to have made up matters in another way; but unless he is to look on you as a father, his honour will not suf fer his putting up such an indignity as you must be sensible you offered him.'

I offered him!' cries the 'squire; it is a d--n'd lie, I never offered him any thing.'

Upon these words the gentleman returned a very short verbal rebuke, and this he accompanied at the same time with some manual remonstrances, which no sooner reached the ears of Mr. Western, than that worthy'squire began to caper very briskly about the room, bellowing at the same time with all his might, as if desirous to summon a great nuinber of spectators to behold his agility..

The parson, who had left great part of the tankard unfinished, was not retired far; he immediately attended, therefore, on the 'squire's vociferation, cry.,

ing, Bless me! sir, what's the matter?

Matter!" quoth the 'squire, here's a highwayman, I believe, who wants to rob and murder me; for he hath fallen upon me with that stick there in his hand, when I wish I may be d--n'd if I gid un the least provoca. tion.'

How, sir,' said the captain, did you not tell me I lied?"

No, as I hope to be saved,' answered the 'squire: 'I believe I might say, 'twas a lie that I had offered any affront to my lord; but I never said the words you lie. I understand myself better, and you might have understood yourself better than to fall upon a naked man. If I had a stick in my hand, you would not have dared to strike me. I'd have knocked thy lantern jaws about thy ears. Come down into the yard this minute, and I'll take a bout with thee at single-stick for a broken head, that I will; or I will go into a naked room, and box thee for a belly-fall. At unt half a man, at unt, I'm sure.'

The captain, with some indignation, replied, I see, sir, you are below my notice, and I shall inform his lordship you are below his. I am sorry I have dirtied my fingers with you.' At which words he withdrew, the parson interposing to prevent the 'squire from stopping him, in which he easily prevailed, as the other, though he made some efforts for the purpose, did not seem very violently bent on success. However, when the captain was departed, the 'squire sent many curses, and some menaces, after him; but as these did not set out from his lips till the officer was at the bottom of the stairs, and grew louder and louder as he was more and more. remote, they did not reach his ears, or at least did not retard his departure.

Poor Sophia, however, who, in her prison, heard all her father's outcries from first to last, began now first to thunder with her foot, and afterwards to scream as loudly as the old gentleman himself had done before, though in a much sweeter voice. These

screams soon silenced the 'squire, and turned all his consideration towards his daughter, whom he loved so tenderly, that the least apprehension of any harm happening to her, threw him presently into agonies; for except in that single instance in which the whole future happiness of her life was concerned, she was sovereign mistress of his inclinations.

Having ended his rage against the captain, with swearing he would take the law of him, the 'squire now mounted up stairs to Sophia, whom, as soon as he had unlocked and opened the door, he found all pale and breathless. The moment, however, that she saw her father, she collected all her spirits, and catching hold of him by the hand, she cried passionately, O my dear sir, I am almost frightened to death! I hope to Heaven no harm hath happened to you.' 'No, no,' cries the 'squire, no great harm. The rascal hath not hurt me much; but rat me if I don't ha' the la o'un.' Pray, dear sir,' says she, tell me what's the matter? Who is it that hath insulted you? I don't know the name o'un,' answered Western; some officer fellow, I suppose, that we are to pay for beating us; but I'll make him pay this bout, if the rascal hath got any thing, which I suppose he hath not. For thof he was dressed out so vine, I question whether he had got a voot of land in the world.' But, dear sir,' cries she, what was the occasion of your quarrel? What should it be, Sophy,' answered the 'squire, but about you, So. phy? All my misfortunes are about you; you will be the death of your poor father at last. Here's a varlet of a lord, the Lord knows who, forsooth! who hath ta'an a liking to you, and because I would not gi un my consent, he sent me a kallenge. Come, do be a good girl, Sophy, and put an end to all your father's troubles; come, do consent to ha' un; he will be in town within this day or two; do but promise me to marry un as soon as he comes, and you will make me the happiest man in the world, and I will make you the happiest woman; you shall have

the finest clothes in London, and the finest jewels, and a coach and six at your command. I promised Allworthy already to give up half my estate,--odrabbit it! I should hardly stick at giving up the whole.'

Will my papa be so kind,' says she, as to hear me speak? Why wout ask, Sophy?' cries he, when dost know I had rather hear thy voice than the music of the best pack of dogs in England. Hear thee, my dear little girl! I hope I shall hear thee as long as I live; for if I was ever to lose that pleasure, I would not gee a brass varden to live a moment longer. Indeed, Sophy, you do not know how I love you; indeed, you don't, or you never could have run away, and left your poor father, who hath no other joy, no other comfort upon earth, but his little Sophy.' At these words the tears stood in his eyes; and Sophia (with tears streaming from hers) answered, 'Indeed, my dear papa, I know you have loved me tenderly, and Heaven is my witness how sincerely I have returned your affection; nor could any thing but an apprehension of being forced into the arms of this man, have driven me to run from a father whom I love so passionately, that I would with pleasure sacrifice my life to his happiness; nay, I have endeavoured to reason myself into doing more, and had almost worked up a resolution to endure the most miserable of all lives, to comply with your inclination. It was that resolution alone to which I could not force my mind; nor can I ever.' Here the 'squire began to look wild, and the foam appear. ed at his lips; which Sophia observing, begged to be heard out, and then proceeded: If my father's life, his health, or any real happiness of his, was at stake, here stands your resolved daughter; may Heaven blast me, if there is a misery I would not suffer to preserve you! No; that most detested, most loathsome of all lots would I embrace: I would give my hand to Blifil for your sake.''I tell thee, it will preserve me,' answers the father; 'it will give me health, happiness, life, every thing! Upon