'seech you, let me conjure you by all the goodness which I, and all who know you, have expe'rienced; 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 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, vio'lent, and noble passion, such, I am convinced, is my unhappy nephew's for Miss Western.' 'A 'nephew of your's, Mr. Allworthy!' answered Sophia. It is surely strange, I never heard of 'him before.' '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 reward him for his sufferings without your assistance.--Believe me, most amiable young lady, I must have a great esteem of that offering which I make to

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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, scèming 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 and sudden information had thrown her: I sincerely wish you joy, Sir, of a discovery in which you seem to have such satisfaction. I doubt not but you will have all the comfort you can promise yourself from it, The young gentleman hath certainly a thousand good qualities, which makes it impossible he C should not behave well to such an uncle.'-'I hope, Madam,' said Allworthy, he hath those good qualities which must make him a good husband.He must, I am sure, be of all men the 'most abandoned, if a lady of your merit should condescend-'You must pardon me, Mr. All'worthy,' answered Sophia; I cannot listen to a 'proposal of this kind. Mr. Jones, I am con'vinced, hath much merit; but I shall never re'ceive Mr. Jones as one who is to be my husband-Upon my honour I never will.'-'Pardon 'me, Madam,' cries Allworthy, if I am a little surprised, after what I have heard from Mr. Western- --I hope the unhappy young man hath 'done nothing to forfeit your good opinion, if he had ever the honour to enjoy it.-Perhaps, he 6 may have been misrepresented to you, as he was The same villany may have injured him 'every where. He is no murderer, I assure you, as he hath been called. Mr. Allworthy,' answered Sophia, I have told you my resolution. 'I wonder not at what my father hath told you; but whatever his apprehensions or fears have been, if I know my heart, I have given no occasion for them; since it hath always been a 'fixed principle with me, never to have married without his consent. This is, I think, the duty

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of a child to a parent; and this, I hope, nothing I could ever have prevailed with me to swerve from. I do not indeed conceive, that the authority of any parent can oblige us to marry, in di'rect opposition to our inclinations. To avoid a 'force of this kind, which I had reason to suspect, 'I left my father's house, and sought protection 'elsewhere. This is the truth of my story; and if 'the world, or my father, carry my intentions any farther, my own conscience will acquit me.' 'I 'hear you, Miss Western,' cries Allworthy, 'with 'admiration. I admire the justness of your senti'ments; but surely there is more in this. I am cautious of offending you, young lady; but am I to look on all which I have hitherto heard or seen, as a dream only? And have you suffered so much 'cruelty from your father on the account of a man to whom you have been always absolutely indifferent?' 'I beg, Mr. Allworthy,' answered Sophia, you will not insist on my reasons;-Yes, I have 'suffered indeed: I will not, Mr. Allworthy, con'ceal-I will be very sincere with you-I own 'I had a great opinion of Mr. Jones-I believeI know I have suffered for my opinion-I have been treated cruelly by my aunt, as well as by my father; but that is now past-I beg I may not be farther pressed; for whatever hath been, my resolution is now fixed. Your nephew, 'Sir, hath many virtues-he hath great virtues, Mr. Allworthy. I question not but he will do you 'honour in the world, and make you happy.''I wish I could make him so, Madam,' replied Allworthy; but that I am convinced is only in your power. It is that conviction which hath 'made me so earnest a solicitor in his favour.' 'You are deceived indeed, Sir; you are deceived,' said Sophia.-'I hope not by him-It is sufficient 'to have deceived me.' 'Mr. Allworthy, I must insist on being prest no farther on this subject. -I should be sorry-Nay, I will not injure him

'in your favour. I wish Mr. Jones very well. I sincerely wish him well; and I repeat it again to you, whatever demerit he may have to me, I am certain he hath many good qualities. I do not disown my former thoughts; but nothing can ever recal them. At present there is not a man upon ' earth whom I would more resolutely reject than 'Mr. Jones; nor would the addresses of Mr. Bli'fil himself be less agreeable to me.'

Western had been long impatient for the event of this conference, and was just now arrived at the door, to listen; when having heard the last sentiments of his daughter's heart, he lost all temper, and, bursting open the door in a rage, cried out,It is a lie. It is a d-n'd lie. It is all owing to that d--n'd rascal Jones; and if she could get fat un, she'd ha un any hour of the day.' Here Allworthy interposed, and addressing himself to the 'squire with some anger in his look, he said, Mr. Western, you have not kept your word with me. You promised to abstain from all violence.' Why so I did,' cries Western, as long as

it was possible; but to hear a wench telling such 'confounded lies-Zounds! doth she think if 'she can make vools of other voik, she can make one of me?—No, no, I know her better than thee dost.' 'I am sorry to tell you, Sir,' answered Allworthy, 'it doth not appear by your behaviour to this young lady, that you know her at all. I ask pardon for what I say; but I think our intimacy, your own desires, and the occasion, justify 'me. She is your daughter, Mr. Western, and I think she doth honour to your name. If I was 'capable of envy, I should sooner envy you on this account, than any other man whatever.'-'Odrabbit-it,' cries the squire, 'I wish she was thine, 'with all my heart-wouldst soon be glad to be rid of the trouble o' her.'-'Indeed, my good friend,' answered Allworthy, 'you yourself are the cause of all the trouble you complain of

Place that confidence in the young lady which 'she so well deserves, and I am certain you will be the happiest father on earth. I confidence in her!' cries the 'squire; "Sblood! what confi'dence can I place in her, when she won't do as I 'wou'd ha' her? Let her gi but her consent to 'marry as I wou'd ha her, and I'll place as much 'confidence in her as wouldst ha me.'' You have no right, neighbour,' answered Allworthy, to insist on any such consent. A negative voice your daughter allows you, and God and Nature have thought proper to allow you no more.'-'A negative voice!' cries the 'squire- Ay! ay! I'll shew you what a negative voice I ha-Go along, go into your chamber, go, you stubborn Indeed, Mr. Western,' said Allworthy,indeed you use her cruelly-I cannot bear to see 'this-You shall, you must behave to her in à ́ kinder manner. She deserves the best of treatment.' 'Yes, yes,' said the 'squire, ‘I know what she deserves: now she's gone, I'll shew you what 'she deserves.-See here, Sir, here is a letter from my cousin, my lady Bellaston, in which she is so kind to gi me to understand, that the fellow is got out of prison again; and here she advises me to take all the care I can o' the wench. Odzookers! neighbour Allworthy, you don't know what it is to govern a daughter.'

The 'squire ended his speech with some compliments to his own sagacity; and then Allworthy, after a formal preface, acquainted him with the whole discovery which he had made concerning Jones, with his anger to Blifil, and with every particular which had been disclosed to the reader in the preceding chapters.

Men over-violent in their dispositions are, for the most part, as changeable in them. No sooner then was Western informed of Mr. Allworthy's intention to make Jones his heir, than he joined heartily with the uncle in every commendation of