tion, you have but the least suspicion of this 'kind, I am sure your own virtue and religion will 'impel you to drive so vicious a passion from your 'heart, and your good sense will soon enable you 'to do it without pain.'

The reader may pretty well guess Blifil's answer; but if he should be at a loss, we are not a present, at leisure to satisfy him, as our history now hastens on to matters of higher importance, and we can no longer bear to be absent from Sophia.

CHAP. IV.

An extraordinary Scene between Sophia and her

Aunt.

THE lowing heifer, and the bleating ewe, in herds and flocks, may ramble safe and unregarded through the pastures. These are, indeed, hereafter doomed to be the prey of man; yet many years are they suffered to enjoy their liberty undisturbed. But if a plump doe be discovered to have escaped from the forest, and to repose herself in some field or grove, the whole parish is presently alarmed, every man is ready to set his dogs after her; and if she is preserved from the rest by the good 'squire, it is only that he may secure her for his own eating,

I have often considered a very fine young woman of fortune and fashion, when first found strayed from the pale of her nursery, to be in pretty much the same situation with this doe. The town is immediately in an uproar, she is hunted from park to play, from court to assembly, from assembly to her own chamber, and rarely escapes a single season from the jaws of some devourer or other; for if her friends protect her from some, it is only to deliver her over to one of their own chusing, often more disagreeable to her than any of the rest; while whole herds or flocks of other women se

curely, and scarce regarded, traverse the park, the play, the opera, and the assembly; and though, for the most part at least, they are at last devoured, yet for a long time do they wanton in liberty, without disturbance or control.

Of all these paragons, none ever tasted more of this persecution than poor Sophia. Her ill stars were not contented with all that she had suffered on account of Blitil, they now raised her another pursuer, who seemed likely to torment her no less than the other had done. For though her aunt was less violent, she was no less assiduous in teazing her, than her father had been before.

The servants were no sooner departed after dinner, than Mrs. Western, who had opened the matter to Sophia, informed her, 'That she expect'ed his lordship that very afternoon, and intended to take the first opportunity of leaving her alone 'with him.' 'If you do, Madam,' answered Sophia, with some spirit, 'I shall take the first opportunity of leaving him by himseif.' 'How! Madam!' cries the aunt; is this the return you make me for my kindness, in relieving you from your 'confinement at your father's? You know, Ma'dam,' said Sophia, the cause of that confine'ment was a refusal to comply with my father, in accepting a man I detested; and will my dear 'aunt, who hath relieved me from that distress, 'involve me in another equally bad? And do ، you think then, Madam,' answered Mrs. Western, that there is no difference between my lord Fellamar and Mr. Blifil? Very little, in my opi'nion,' cries Sophia; and if I must be condemned 'to one, I would certainly have the merit of sacri'ficing myself to my father's pleasure.' 'Then my 'pleasure, I find,' said the auit, hath very little weight with you; but that consideration shall not move me. I act from nobler motives. The view of aggrandizing my family, of ennobling yourself, is what I proceed upon. Have you no sense

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' of ambition? Are there no charms in the thoughts of having a coronet on your coach?' 'None, upon my honour,' said Sophia. A pincushion upon my coach would please me just as well.' 'Never ' mention honour,' cries the aunt. It becomes not the mouth of such a wretch. I am sorry, niece, you force me to use these words; but I cannot bear your groveling temper; you have none of the blood of the Westerns' in you. But, however mean and base your own ideas are, you shall bring no imputation on mine. I will never suffer the world to say of me, that I encouraged you in refusing one of the best matches in England; ' a match which, besides its advantage in fortune, 'would do honour to almost any family, and hath, indeed, in title, the advantage of ours. Surely,' says Sophia, I am born deficient, and have not the senses with which other people are blessed; there must be certainly some sense which can relish the delights of sound and show, which 'I have not; for surely mankind would not labour so much, nor sacrifice so much for the obtaining, nor would they be so elate and proud with possessing, what appeared to them, as it doth to me, the most insignificant of all trifles.'

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No, no, Miss;' cries the aunt; you are born with as many senses as other people; but I assure you, you are not born with a sufficient understanding to make a fool of me, or to expose my 'conduct to the world, so I declare thus to you upon my word, and you know, I believe, how fixed my resolutions are, unless you agree to see his lordship this afternoon, I will, with my own hands, deliver you to-morrow morning to my brother, and will never henceforth interfere with you, nor see your face again.' Sophia stood a few moments silent after this speech, which was uttered in a most angry and peremptory tone; and then bursting into tears, she cried, Do with me, * Madam, whatever you please; I am the most mi

'serable undone wretch upon earth; if my dear aunt forsakes me, where shall I look for a pro'tector? My dear niece,' cries she, you will have a very good protector in his lordship; a protector, whom nothing but a hankering after that vile fellow Jones can make you decline.' Indeed, Madam,' said Sophia, you wrong me. How can you imagine, after what you have shewn me, if I had ever any such thoughts, that 'I should not banish them for ever. If it will satisfy you, I will receive the sacrament upon it, never to see his face again.'-' But, child, dear 'child,' said the aunt, be reasonable; can you invent a single objection? I have already, I think, told you a sufficient objection,' answered Sophia.- 'What,' cries the aunt; I remember none.' Sure, Madam,' said Sophia, 'I told you 'he had used me in the rudest and vilest manner.' 'Indeed, child,' answered she, 'I never heard you, 'or did not understand you:But what do you

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mean by this rude, vile manner?' 'Indeed, Madam,' said Sophia, I am almost ashamed to tell you. He caught me in his arms, pulled me down upon the settee, and thrust his hand into my bosom, and kissed it with such violence, that I have the mark upon my left breast at this mo'ment. Indeed!' said Mrs. Western. Yes, in'deed, Madam,' answered Sophia; my father luckily came in at that instant, or heaven knows what rudeness he intended to have proceeded to.' I am astonished and confounded,' cries the aunt. · No woman of the name of Western hath been ever treated so, since we were a family. I would 'have torn the eyes of a prince out, if he had attempted such freedoms with me. It is impossible; sure, Sophia, you must invent this to raise my indignation against him.' 'I hope, Madam,' said Sophia, you have too good an opinion of me, to imagine me capable of telling an untruth, Upon my soul, it is true.' 'I should have stabbed

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'him to the heart, had I been present,' returned the aunt. Yet surely he could have no disho'nourable design; it is impossible! he durst not: besides, his proposals shew he had not; for they are not only honourable but generous. I don't know; the age allows too great freedoms. A distant salute is all I would have allowed before the ceremony. I have had lovers formerly, not so 'long ago neither; several lovers, though I never 'would consent to marriage, and I never encou'raged the least freedom. It is a foolish custom, and what I never would agree to. No man 'kissed more of me than my cheek. It is as much as one can bring one's self to give lips up to a husband; and, indeed, could I ever have been 'persuaded to marry, I believe I should not have 'soon been brought to endure so much.' You

will pardon me, dear Madam,' said Sophia,‘if 'I make one observation: You own you have had 'many lovers, and the world knows it, even if you 'should deny it. You refused them all, and, I am 'convinced, one coronet at least among them.' 'You say true, dear Sophy,' answered she; I had once the offer of a title.' "Why, then,' said Sophia, will you not suffer me to refuse this once?' It is true, child,' said she, 'I have refused the 'offer of a title; but it was not so good an offer; that is, not so very, very good an offer.

Yes, Madam,' said Sophia; but you have had very great proposals from men of vast fortunes. 'It was not the first, nor the second, nor the third advantageous match that offered itself.' 'I own 'it was not,' said she. Well, Madam,' continued Sophia, and why may not I expect to have a second, perhaps, better than this? You are now 'but a young woman, and I am convinced would not promise to yield to the first lover of fortune, nay, or of title too. I am a very young 'woman, and sure I need not despair.'Well, my dear, dear Sophy,' cries the aunt, what