my replying that I had not told them as yet, he greatly approved my prudence and precaution, defiring me by all means to keep it a fecret: "For, at beft," cried he, " it is but divulging "one's own infamy; and perhaps Mifs Livy "may not be fo guilty as we all imagine." We were here interrupted by a fervant who came to ask the Squire in, to ftand up at country-dances; fo that he left me quite pleased with the interest he seemed to take in my concerns. His addreffes, however, to Miss Wilmot, were too obvious to be mistaken; and yet she seemed not perfectly pleased, but bore them rather in compliance to the will of her aunt, than from real inclination. I had even the fatisfaction to fee her lavish fome kind looks upon my unfortunate fon, which the other could neither extort by his fortune nor affiduity. Mr. Thornhill's feeming composure, however, not a little surprised me: we had now continued here a week, at the preffing inftances of Mr. Arnold; but each day the more tenderness Miss Wilmot fhowed my fon, Mr. Thornhill's friendship seemed proportionably to increase for him.

He had formerly made us the most kind affu-rances of ufing his intereft to ferve the family; but now his generofity was not confined to promifes alone. The morning I defigned for my departure, Mr. Thornhill came to me with looks of real pleasure, to inform me of a piece of fervice he had done for his friend George. This was nothing less than his having procured him

an

an enfign's commiffion in one of the regiments that was going to the West Indies, for which he had promised but one hundred pounds, his interest having been fufficient to get an abatement of the other two. "As for this trifling piece of "fervice," continued the young gentleman, "I "defire no other reward but the pleafure of hav "ing ferved my friend; and as for the hundred pounds to be paid, if you are unable to raise "it yourselves, I will advance it, and you shall repay me at your leifure." This was a favour we wanted words to exprefs our sense of: I readily, therefore, gave my bond for the money, and testified as much gratitude as if I never intended to pay.

George was to depart for town the next day, to fecure his commiffion, in pursuance of his generous patron's directions, who judged it highly expedient to use dispatch, left, in the meantime, another should step in with more advantageous proposals. The next morning, therefore, our young foldier was early prepared for his departure, and feemed the only perfon among us that was not affected by it. Neither the fatigues and dangers he was going to encounter, nor the friends and miftrefs (for Mifs Wilmot actually loved him) he was leaving behind, any way damped his fpirits. After he had taken leave of the reft of the company, I gave him all I had, my bleffing. "And now, my boy," cried I, "thou "art going to fight for thy country; remember "how thy brave grandfather fought for his fa

"cred

cred king, when loyalty among Britons was a "virtue. Go, my boy, and imitate him in all "but his misfortunes, if it was a misfortune to "die with Lord Falkland. Go, my boy, and "if you fall, though diftant, exposed and unwept "by those that love you, the most precious tears ¢ are those with which heaven bedews the un"buried head of a foldier.”

The next morning I took leave of the good family, that had been kind enough to entertain me fo long, not without feveral expreffions of gratitude to Mr. Thornhill for his late bounty. I left them in the enjoyment of all that happiness which affluence and good breeding procure, and returned towards home, despairing of ever finding my daughter more, but fending a figh to heaven to fpare and to forgive her. I was now come within about twenty miles of home, having hired an horse to carry me, as I was yet but weak, and comforted myself with the hopes of foon seeing all I held dearest upon earth. But the night coming on, I put up at a little publick-house by the road fide, and asked for the landlord's company over a pint of wine. We fat befide his

best room in the

kitchen fire, which was the houfe, and chatted on politicks and the news of the country. We happened, among other topicks, to talk of young Squire Thornhill, whom the hoft affured me, was hated as much as his uncle Sir William, who sometimes came down to the country, was loved. He went on to observe, that he made it his whole ftudy to betray the daughters

of

of fuch as received him to their houses, and after a fortnight or three weeks poffeffion, turned them out unrewarded and abandoned to the world. As we continued our discourse in this manner, his wife, who had been out to get change, returned, and perceiving that her husband was enjoying a pleasure in which fhe was not a fharer, she asked him, in an angry tone, what he did there? To which he only replied in an ironical way, by drinking her health. "Mr. Sym"monds," cried fhe, "you ufe me very ill, and "I'll bear it no longer. Here three parts of the "bufinefs is left for me to do, and the fourth " left unfinished, while you do nothing but foak "with the guefts all day long; whereas, if a fpoonful of liquor were to cure me of a fever, I never touch a drop." I now found what she would be at, and immediately poured her out a glafs, which he received with a courtesy, and drinking towards my good health, "Sir," refumed fhe," it is not fo much for the value of "the liquor I am angry; but one cannot help it, "when the house is going out of the windows. "If the customers or guefts are to be dunned, all "the burden lies upon my back; he'd as lief eat "that glass as budge after them himself. There

now above ftairs, we have a young woman "who has come to take up her lodgings here, "and I don't believe fhe has got any money, by "her over-civility. I am certain she is very flow "of payment, and I wifh fhe were put in mind "of it."" What fignifies minding her?"

cried the hoft; "if fhe be flow, fhe is fure.""I don't know that," replied the wife; "but "I know that I am sure she has been here a fort"night, and we have not yet seen the cross of her "money.""I suppose, my dear," cried he, "we shall have it all in a lump."—" In a lump !" cried the other, "I hope we may get it any way; " and that I am refolved we will this very night, "or out the tramps, bag and baggage. "Confider, my dear," cried the husband, "fhe "is a gentlewoman, and deserves more respect.". "As for the matter of that," returned the hoftess,

gentle or fimple, out the fhall pack with a "faffarara. Gentry may be good things where "they take; but, for my part, I never faw "much good of them at the fign of the Har" row."

Thus faying, she ran up a narrow flight of stairs, that went from the kitchen to a room over-head; and I foon perceived by the loudnefs of her voice, and the bitterness of her reproaches, that no money was to be had from her lodger. I could hear her remonstrances very diftinctly: "Out, I fay; "pack out this moment; tramp, thou infamous "ftrumpet, or I'll give thee a mark thou won't "be the better for this three months. What!

you trumpery, to come and take up an honeft "houfe, without crofs or coin to blefs yourself "with; come along, I fay."— "O dear "Madam," cried the ftranger, "pity me; pity

a poor abandoned creature for one night, and "death will foon do the reft."-I inftantly

knew