were :

I am refolved from this day forward, on no account, to converse with you any more.

Here paffion stopt the mouth of Jones, as surprise, for a moment, did that of Partridge : but he foon recovered the use of speech, and after a fhort preface, in which he declared, he had no inquisitiveness in his temper, enquired, what Jones meant by confiderable fum, he knew not how much; and what was become of the money?

In both these points he now received full fatisfaction; on which he was proceeding to comment, when he was interrupted by a message from Mr. Nightingale, who defired his master's company in his apartment.

When the two gentlemen were both attired for the masquerade, and Mr. Nightingale had given orders for chairs to be fent for, a circumstance of distress occurred to Jones, which will appear very ridiculous to many of my readers. This was how to procure a fhilling; but if fuch readers will reflect a little on what they have themselves felt from the want of a thousand pound, or, perhaps, of ten or twenty, to execute a favourite fcheme, they will have a perfect idea of what Mr. Jones felt on this occafion. For this fum, therefore, he applied to Partridge, which was the firft he had permitted him to advance, and was the last he intended that poor fellow fhould advance in his fervice. To fay the truth, Partridge had lately made no offer of

this kind; whether it was that he defired to fee the bank-bill broke in upon, or that distress should prevail on Jones to return home, or from what other motive it proceeded, I will not determine.

CHAP. VII.

Containing the whole humours of a mafquerade.

OUR cavaliers now arrived at that temple, where

Heydegger, the great Arbiter Deliciarum, the great high-priest of pleasure prefides; and, like other heathen priests, impofes on his votaries by the pretended presence of the deity, when in reality no fuch deity is there..

Mr. Nightingale having taken a turn or two with his companion, foon left him, and walked off with a female, saying: Now you are here, Sir, you must beat about for your own game.

Jones began to entertain ftrong hopes that his Sophia was prefent; and these hopes gave him more fpirits that the lights, the mufic, and the company; though these are pretty ftrong antidotes against the spleen. He now accofted every woman he faw, whofe ftature, fhape, or air, bore any resemblance to his angel. To all of whom he endeavoured to say something fmart, in order to engage an answer, by which he might difcover

the

that voice which he thought it impoffible he should mistake. Some of these answered by a question, in a squeaking voice: Do you know me? Much greater numbers faid: I don't know you, Sir; and nothing more. Some called him an impertinent fellow; fome made him no anfwer at all, fome faid Indeed I don't know your voice, and I fhall have nothing to fay to you; and many gave him as kind answers as he could wish, but not in the voice he defired to hear.

:

Whilft he was talking with one of these last, (who was in the habit of a shepherdess) a lady in a domino came up to him, and flapping him on the fhoulder, whispered him, at the same time, in the ear: If you talk any longer with that trollop, I will acquaint Miss Western.

Jones no fooner heard that name, than, immediately quitting his former companion, he applied to the domino, begging and entreating her to fhew him the lady she had mentioned, if she was then in the room.

The mask walked haftily to the upper end of the innermost appartment before she spoke; and then, instead of answering him, fat down, and declared, she was tired. Jones fat down by her, and still perfifted in his entreaties; at laft the lady coldly anfwered I imagined Mr. Jones had been a more difcerning lover, than to fuffer any disguise to conceal his miftrefs from him. Is the here then,

Madam? replied Jones, with fome vehemence. Upon which the lady cried :- Hufh, Sir, you will be observed. I promise you, upon my honour, Miss Western is not here.

:

your

Jones now taking the mafk by the hand, fell to entreating her in the most earneft manner, to acquaint him where he might find Sophia and when he could obtain no direct answer, he began to upbraid her gently for having disappointed him the day before; and concluded, faying: Indeed, my good Fairy Queen, I know your majesty very well, notwithstanding the affected disguise of voice. Indeed, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, it is a little cruel to divert yourself at the expence of my torments. The mask answered Though you have fo ingeniously discovered me, I must still speak in the fame voice, left I should be known by others. And do you think, good Sir, that I have no greater regard for my cousin, than to assist in carrying on an affair between you two, which must end in her ruin, as well as your own? Besides, I promise you, my cousin is not mad enough to confent to her own deftruction, if you are so much her enemy as to attempt her to it.

Alas, Madam, faid Jones, you little know my heart, when you call me an enemy of Sophia.

And yet to ruin any one, cries the other, you will allow, is the act of an enemy; and when by the same act you must knowingly and certainly

bring ruin on yourself, is it not folly or madness, as well as guilt? Now, Sir, my cousin hath very little more than her father will please to give her; very little for one of her fashion, -you know him, and you know your own fituation.

Jones vowed, he had no fuch design on Sophia; that he would rather fuffer the moft violent of deaths, than facrifice her intereft to his defires. He faid, he knew how unworthy he was of her every way; that he had long ago refolved to quit all fuch afpiring thoughts, but that some strange accidents had made him defirous to fee her once more, when he promised he would take leave of her for ever. No, Madam, concluded he, my love is not of that bafe kind which feeks its own fatisfaction, at the expence of what is most dear to its object. I would facrifice every thing to the poffeffion of my Sophia, but Sophia herfelf.

Though the reader may have already conceived no very fublime idea of the virtue of the lady in the mask; and though poffibly fhe may hereafter appear not to deserve one of the first characters of her fex; yet it is certain, these generous fentiments made a strong impreffion upon her, and greatly added to the affection fhe had before conceived for our young hero.

The lady now, after a filence of a few moments, faid, fhe did not fee his pretenfions to Sophia fo much in the light of prefumption, as of imprudence.

Young