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more; and as often, in her prefence, forgot all thofe refolutions, and determined to pursue her at the hazard of his life, and at the forfeiture of what was much dearer to him.

This conflict began foon to produce very ftrong and vifible effects: for he loft all his ufual fprightlinefs and gaiety of temper, and became not only melancholy when alone, but dejected and abfent in company; nay, if ever he put on a forced mirth, to comply with Mr. Western's humour, the constraint appeared fo plain, that he feemed to have been giving the ftrongest evidence of what he endeavoured to conceal by fuch oftentation.

It may, perhaps, be a queftion, whether the art which he used to conceal his paffion, or the means which honeft nature employed to reveal it, betrayed him moit for while art made him more than ever referved to Sophia, and forbad him to address any of his discourse to her; nay, to avoid meeting her eyes, with the utmost caution; nature was no lefs bufy in counterplotting him. Hence, at the approach of the young lady, he grew pale; and if this was fudden, ftarted. If his eyes accidentally met hers, the blood rushed. into his cheeks, and his countenance became all over fcarlet. If common civility ever obliged him to speak to her, as to drink her health at table, his tongue was fure to faulter. If he touched her, his hand, nay his whole frame trembled. And if any difcourfe tended, however remotely, to raise the idea of love, an invo-. luntary figh feldom failed to teal from his bofom.. Moft of which accidents nature was wonderfully induftrious to throw daily in his way.

All thefe fymptoms efcaped the notice of the 'fquire; but not fo of Sophia. She foon perceived thefe agitations of mind in Jones, and was at no loss to difcover the canfe; for indeed the recognized it in her own. breaft. And this recognition is, I fuppofe, that fympathy which hath been fo often noted in lovers, and which will fufficiently account for her being fo muchquicker fighted than her father.

But, to fay the truth, there is a more fimple and plain method of accounting for that prodigious fuperi,

ority of penetration which we muft obferve in fome men over the reft of the human fpecies, and one which will serve not only in the cafe of lovers, but of all others. From whence is it that the knave is generally fo quick-fighted to thofe fymptoms, and operations of knavery which often dupe an honeft man of a much better understanding? There furely is no general fympathy among knaves, nor have they, like free mafons, any common fign of communication. In reality, it is only because they have the fame thing in their heads, and their thoughts are turned the fame way. Thus, that Sophia faw, and that Western did not fee the plain fymptoms of love in Jones can be no wonder, when we confider that the idea of love never entered into the head of the father, whereas the daughter, at prefent, thought of nothing elfe.

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When Sophia was well fatisfied of the violent paffion which tormented poor Jones, and no lefs certain that fhe herself was its object, fhe had not the lealt difficulty in difcovering the true caufe of his prefent behaviour, This highly endeared him to her, and railed in her mind two of the belt affections which any lover can wish to raffe in a miftrefs. These were efteem and pity; for fure the most outrageoufly rigid among fex will excufe her pitying a man, whom the faw miferable on her own account; nor can they blame her for efteeming one who vifibly, from the moft honorable motives, endeavoured to fmother a flame in his own bofom, which, like the famous Spartan theft, was preying upon and confuming his very vitals.. Thus his backwardnefs, his fhunning her, his colincfs and bis filence, were the forwardett, the moft diligeut, the warmest and most eloquent advocates; and wrought fo violently on her fenfible and tender heart, that the foon felt for him all thofe gentle fenfations which are confiftent with a virtuous and elevated female mind In fhort, all which efteem, gratitude, and pity, can infpire in fuch, towards an agreeable man- -Indeed, all which the niceft delicacy can allow-In a word, fhe was in love with him to diftraction.

One day this young couple accidentally met in the garden, at the end of two walks, which were both

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bounded by that canal in which Jones had formerly rifqued drowning to retrieve the little bird that Sophia. had there loft.

This place had been of late much frequented by Sophia. Here she used to ruminate, with a mixture of pain and pleasure, on an incident, which, however triffing in itfelf, had poffibly fown the first feeds of that affection which was now arrived to such maturity

in her heart.

Here then this young couple met. They were al molt close together before either of them knew any thing of the other's approach. A by-tander would have discovered fufficient marks of confufion, in the. countenance of each; but they felt too much themfelves to make any obfervation. As foon as Jones had a little recovered his firft furprize, he accofted the young lady with fome of the ordinary forms of falutation, which the in the fame manner returned, and their converfation began,, as ufual, on the delicious. beauty of the morning. Hence they paft to the beauty of the place, on which Jones launched forth very high encomiums. When they came to the tree whence he had formerly tumbled into the canal, Sophia could not help, reminding him of that accident, and faid,. I fancy, Mr. Jones, you have fame little fhuddering when you fee that water,' I affure you, Madam,' anfwered Jones, the concern you felt at the lofs of your little bird, will always appear to me the highest • circumstance in that adventure. Poor little Tommy, there is the branch he ftood upon.. How could the little wretch have the folly to fly away from that ftate of happiness in which I had the honour to place him? His fate was a juft punishment for his ingratitude.? Upon my word, Mr. Jones, faid fhe, your gallantry very narrowly escaped as fevere a fate. Sure the remembrance mult affect you.' Indeed, • Madam,' answered he, if I have any reafon to reflect with forrow on it, it is, perhaps, that the water had not been a little deeper, by which I might have efcaped many bitter, heart achs, that fortune feems to have in ftore for me.' · Fie, Mr. Jones,’ replied Sophia, I am fure you cannot be in earnest

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now. This affected contempt of life is only an excefs of your complaifance to me. You would endçavour to leffen the obligation of having twice ventured it for my fake. Beware the third time.'She fpoke thefe laft words with a fmile and a foftuefs inexpreffible. Jones anfwered with a' figh, He feared it was already too late for caution;'-and then looking tenderly and ftedfaftly on her, he cry'd, Oh! • Mifs Weltern,-Can you defire me to live? Can you wifh me fo ill? Sophia looking down on the ground, anfwered with fome helitation, Indeed, Mr. Jones, I do not wish you ill.'-Oh: I know too well that heavenly temper,' cries Jones, that di vine goodness which is beyond every other charm.' Nay, now, anfwered she, I understand you not. -I can stay no longer.?— I,—I would not be underftood, cries. he,nay I can't be understood. I. know not what I fay. Meeting you here fo. unexpectedly, I have been unguarded for heaven's fake pardon me, if I have faid any thing to offend you I did not mean it indeed, I would rather • have died-nay, the very thought would kill me.' You furprife me,' anfwered the. How can you poffibly think you have offended me? Fear, Madam,' fays he, eafily runs into madness; and there is no degree of fear like that which I fear of offending you. How can I speak then? Nay, don't look angrily at me, one frown will deftroy me.-I mean nothing. Blame my eyes, or blame thofe beauties.

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What am I faying? Pardon me if I have faid too much. My heart overflowed. I have ftruggled with my love to the utmost, and have endeavoured to conceal a fever which preys on my vitals, and will, I hope, foon make it impoffible for me ever to offend you more.

Mr. Jones now fell a trembling as if he had been fhaken with the fit of an ague. Sophia, who was in a fituation not very different from his, anfwered in thefe words: Mr. Jones, I will not affect to mifundertand you; indeed I understand you too well; but, for heaven's fake, if you have any affection for me,

let me make the best of my way into the houfe. I' wish I may be able to support myself thither.'

Jones, who was hardly able to fupport himself, of fered her his arm, which the condefcended to accept, but begged he would not mention a word more to her of this nature at prefent. He promifed he would not, infifiing only on her forgivenefs of what love, without the leave of his will, had forced from-him : this, the told him, he knew how to obtain, by his future behaviour; and thus this young pair tottered and trembled along, the lover not once daring to fqueeze the hand of his mistress, though it was locked in his.

Sophia immediately retired to her chamber, where Mrs. Honour and the hartfhorn were fummoned to her affiftance. As to poor Jones, the only relief to his dillempered mind was an unwelcome piece of news, which, as it opens a fcene of a different nature from. thofe in which the reader hath lately been converfant, will be communicated to him in the next chapter.

CHAP. VII.

In which Mr. Allworthy appears on a fick bed. MR. Western was become fo fond of Jones, that he was unwilling to part with him, though his arm had been long fince cured; and Jones, either from the love of fport, or from fome other reafon, was eafily perfuaded to continue at his houfe, which he did fometimes for a fortnight together, without paying a fingle vifit at Mr. Allworthy's, nay, without ever hearing from thence.

Mr. Allworthy had been for fome days indifpofed with a cold, which had been attended with a little fever. This he had, however, neglected, as it was usual with him to do all manner of diforders which did not. confine him to his bed, or prevent his feveral faculties from performing their ordinary functions. A conduct which we would by no means be thought to approve or recommend to imitation: for furely the gentlemen of the Afculapian art are in the right in advifing, that the moment the difeafe is entered at one door, the phyfician

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