the horse, it had very little on the rider. He an. swered somewhat surlily, 'That measter had ordered him to go a different way, and that he should lose his place, if he went any other than that he was ordered.'

Sophia, finding all her persuasions had no effect, began now to add irresistible charms to her voice; charms which, according to the proverb, makes the old mare trot, instead of standing still; charms! to which modern ages have attributed all that irresistible force which the ancients imputed to perfect oratory. In a word, she promised she would reward him to his utmost expectation.

The lad was not totally deaf to these promises; but he disliked their being indefinite: for though perhaps he had never heard that word, yet that in fact was his objection. He said, 'Gentlevolks did not consider the case of poor volks; that he had like to have been turned away the other day, for riding about the country with a gentleman from 'Squire Allworthy's, who did not reward him as he should have done.'

With whom?" says Sophia eagerly. With a gentleman from 'Squire Allworthy's,' repeated the lad; 'the 'squire's son, I think they call un.' Whither? which way did he go?" says Sophia. Why a little o' one side o' Bristol, about twenty miles off,' answered the lad. Guide me,' says Sophia, to the same place, and I'll give thee a guinea, or two, if one is not sufficient. To be certain,' said the boy, it is honestly worth two, when your ladyship considers what a risk I run; but, however, if your la dyship will promise me the two guineas, I'll e'en venture: to be certain it is a sinful thing to ride. about my measter's horses; but one comfort is, I can only be turned away, and two guineas will partly Inake me amends.'

The bargain being thus struck, the lad turned aside into the Bristol road, and Sophia set forward in pursuit of Jones, highly contrary to the remon

strances of Mrs. Honour, who had much more desire to see London, than to see Mr. Jones: for indeed she was not his friend with her mistress, as he had been guilty of some neglect in certain pecuniary ci.vilities, which are by custom due to the waiting-gentle-woman in all love affairs, and more especially in those of a clandestine kind. This we impute rather to the carelessness of his temper, than to any want of generosity; but perhaps she derived it from -the latter motive. Certain it is, that she hated him very bitterly on that account, and resolved to take every opportunity of injuring him with her mistress. It was therefore highly unlucky for her, that she had gone to the very same town and inn whence Jones had started, and still more unlucky was she, in having stumbled on the same guide, and on this accidental discovery which Sophia had made.

Our travellers arrived at Hambrook at the break of day, where Honour was, against her will, charged to inquire the route which Mr. Jones had taken. Of this, indeed, the guide himself could have informed them; but Sophia, I know not for what reason, never asked him the question.

When Mrs. Honour had made her report from the landlord, Sophia, with much difficulty, procured some indifferent horses, which brought her to the inn where Jones had been confined, rather by the misfortune of meeting with a surgeon, than by hav ing met with a broken head.

Here Honour being again charged with a commis. sion of inquiry, had no sooner applied herself to the landlady, and had described the person of Mr. Jones, than that sagacious woman began, in the vul. gar phrase, to smell a rat. When Sophia, therefore, entered the room, instead of answering the maid, the landlady, addressing herself to the mistress, be gan the following speech: Good-lack-a-day! why

This was the village where Jones met the quaker.

there now, who would have thought it! I protest the loveliest couple that ever eye beheld. 1-fackins, madam, it is no wonder the 'squire run on so about -your ladyship. He told me indeed you was the finest lady in the world, and to be sure so you be. Mercy on him, poor heart, I bepitied him, so I did, when he used to hug his pillow, and call it his dear Madam Sophia. I did all I could to dissuade him from going to the wars: I told him there were men enow that were good for nothing else but to be killed, that had not the love of such fine ladies.' Sure,' says Sophia, the good woman is distracted."

No, no,' cries the landlady, I am not distracted. What, doth your ladyship think I don't know, then? I assure you he told me all.' What saucy fellow," cries Honour, told you any thing of my lady?' No saucy fellow,' answered the landlady, but the young gentleman you inquired after; and a very pretty young gentleman he is, and he loves Madam Sophia Western to the bottom of his soul.' He love my lady! I'd have you to know, woman, she is meat for his master.' 'Nay, Honour,' said Sophia, interrupting her, 'don't be angry with the good woman; she intends no harm.' No, marry, don't I,' answered the landlady, emboldened by the soft accents of Sophia; and then launched into a long narrative too tedious to be here set down, in which some passages dropped, that gave a little offence to Sophia, and much more to her waiting-woman, who hence took occasion to abuse poor Jones to her mistress the moment they were alone together, saying,

that he must be a very pitiful fellow, and could have no love for a lady, whose name he would thus prostitute in an ale-house.'

Sophia did not see his behaviour in so very disadvantageous a light, and was, perhaps, more pleased with the violent raptures of his love (which the landlady exaggerated as much as she had done every other circumstance) than she was offended with the rest; and, indeed, she imputed the whole to the ex

travagance, or rather ebullience, of his passion, and to the openness of his heart.

This incident, however, being afterwards revived in her mind, and placed in the most odious colours by Honour, served to heighten and give credit to those unlucky occurrences at Upton, and assisted, the waiting-woman in her endeavours to make her mistress depart from that inn without seeing Jones.

The landlady, finding Sophia intended to stay no longer than till her horses were ready, and that without either eating or drinking, soon withdrew; when Honour began to take her mistress to task (for, indeed, she used great freedom), and after a long harangue, in which she reminded her of her intention to go to London, and gave frequent hints of the impropriety of pursuing a young fellow, she at last concluded with this serious exhortation: For Heaven's sake, madam, consider what you are about, and whither you are going.'

This advice to a lady, who had already rode near forty miles, and in no very agreeable season, may seem foolish enough. It may be supposed, she had well considered and resolved this already; nay, Mrs. Honour, by the hints she threw out seemed to think so; and this, I doubt not, is the opinion of many readers, who have, I make no doubt, been long since well convinced of the purpose of our heroine, and have heartily condemned her for it as a wanton baggage.

But, in reality, this was not the case. Sophia had been lately so distracted between hope and fear, her duty and love to her father, her hatred to Blifil, her compassion, and (why should we not confess the truth?) her love for Jones; which last, the behaviour of her father, of her aunt, of every one else, and more particularly of Jones himself, had blown into a flame, that her mind was in that confused state, which may be truly said to make us ignorant of what we do, or whither we go, or rather, indeed, indifferent as to the consequence of either.

The prudent and sage advice of her maid preduced, however, some cool reflection; and she at length determined to go to Gloucester, and thence to proceed directly to London.

But unluckily, a few miles before she entered that town, she met the hack-attorney, who, as is before mentioned, had dined there with Mr. Jones. This fellow being well known to Mrs. Honour, stopped and spoke to her; of which Sophia at that time took little notice, more than to inquire who he was.

But having had a more particular account from Honour of this man afterwards at Gloucester, and hearing of the great expedition he usually made in travelling, for which (as hath been before observed) he was particularly famous; recollecting likewise, that she had overheard Mrs. Honour inform him, that they were going to Gloucester, she began to fear lest her father might, by this fellow's means, be able to trace her to that city; wherefore, if she should there strike into the London road, she ap prehended he would certainly be able to overtake her. She therefore altered her resolution; and having hired horses to go a week's journey, a way which she did not intend to travel, she again set forward after a light refreshment, contrary to the desire and earnest entreaties of her maid, and to the no less vehement remonstrances of Mrs. Whitfield, who, from good-breeding, or perhaps from good-nature (for the poor young lady appeared much fatigued), pressed her very heartily to stay that even. ing at Gloucester.

Having refreshed herself only with some tea, and with lying about two hours on the bed, while her horses were getting ready, she resolutely left Mrs. Whitfield's about eleven at night, and striking directly into the Worcester road, within less than four hours arrived at that very inn where we last saw her.

Having thus traced our heroine very particularly back from her departure, till her arrival at Upton, we shall, in a very few words, bring her father to the