Chapter vii.

Containing a fuller account of Mrs Waters, and by what means she came

into that distressful situation from which she was rescued by Jones.

Though Nature hath by no means mixed up an equal share either of

curiosity or vanity in every human composition, there is perhaps no

individual to whom she hath not allotted such a proportion of both as

requires much arts, and pains too, to subdue and keep under;--a

conquest, however, absolutely necessary to every one who would in any

degree deserve the characters of wisdom or good breeding.

As Jones, therefore, might very justly be called a well-bred man, he

had stifled all that curiosity which the extraordinary manner in which

he had found Mrs Waters must be supposed to have occasioned. He had,

indeed, at first thrown out some few hints to the lady; but, when he

perceived her industriously avoiding any explanation, he was contented

to remain in ignorance, the rather as he was not without suspicion

that there were some circumstances which must have raised her blushes,

had she related the whole truth.

Now since it is possible that some of our readers may not so easily

acquiesce under the same ignorance, and as we are very desirous to

satisfy them all, we have taken uncommon pains to inform ourselves of

the real fact, with the relation of which we shall conclude this book.

This lady, then, had lived some years with one Captain Waters, who was

a captain in the same regiment to which Mr Northerton belonged. She

past for that gentleman's wife, and went by his name; and yet, as the

serjeant said, there were some doubts concerning the reality of their

marriage, which we shall not at present take upon us to resolve.

Mrs Waters, I am sorry to say it, had for some time contracted an

intimacy with the above-mentioned ensign, which did no great credit to

her reputation. That she had a remarkable fondness for that young

fellow is most certain; but whether she indulged this to any very

criminal lengths is not so extremely clear, unless we will suppose

that women never grant every favour to a man but one, without granting

him that one also.

The division of the regiment to which Captain Waters belonged had two

days preceded the march of that company to which Mr Northerton was the

ensign; so that the former had reached Worcester the very day after

the unfortunate re-encounter between Jones and Northerton which we

have before recorded.

Now, it had been agreed between Mrs Waters and the captain that she

would accompany him in his march as far as Worcester, where they were

to take their leave of each other, and she was thence to return to

Bath, where she was to stay till the end of the winter's campaign

against the rebels.

With this agreement Mr Northerton was made acquainted. To say the

truth, the lady had made him an assignation at this very place, and

promised to stay at Worcester till his division came thither; with

what view, and for what purpose, must be left to the reader's

divination; for, though we are obliged to relate facts, we are not

obliged to do a violence to our nature by any comments to the

disadvantage of the loveliest part of the creation.

Northerton no sooner obtained a release from his captivity, as we have

seen, than he hasted away to overtake Mrs Waters; which, as he was a

very active nimble fellow, he did at the last-mentioned city, some few

hours after Captain Waters had left her. At his first arrival he made

no scruple of acquainting her with the unfortunate accident; which he

made appear very unfortunate indeed, for he totally extracted every

particle of what could be called fault, at least in a court of honour,

though he left some circumstances which might be questionable in a

court of law.

Women, to their glory be it spoken, are more generally capable of that

violent and apparently disinterested passion of love, which seeks only

the good of its object, than men. Mrs Waters, therefore, was no sooner

apprized of the danger to which her lover was exposed, than she lost

every consideration besides that of his safety; and this being a

matter equally agreeable to the gentleman, it became the immediate

subject of debate between them.

After much consultation on this matter, it was at length agreed that

the ensign should go across the country to Hereford, whence he might

find some conveyance to one of the sea-ports in Wales, and thence

might make his escape abroad. In all which expedition Mrs Waters

declared she would bear him company; and for which she was able to

furnish him with money, a very material article to Mr Northerton, she

having then in her pocket three bank-notes to the amount of £90,

besides some cash, and a diamond ring of pretty considerable value on

her finger. All which she, with the utmost confidence, revealed to

this wicked man, little suspecting she should by these means inspire

him with a design of robbing her. Now, as they must, by taking horses

from Worcester, have furnished any pursuers with the means of

hereafter discovering their route, the ensign proposed, and the lady

presently agreed, to make their first stage on foot; for which purpose

the hardness of the frost was very seasonable.

The main part of the lady's baggage was already at Bath, and she had

nothing with her at present besides a very small quantity of linen,

which the gallant undertook to carry in his own pockets. All things,

therefore, being settled in the evening, they arose early the next

morning, and at five o'clock departed from Worcester, it being then

above two hours before day, but the moon, which was then at the full,

gave them all the light she was capable of affording.

Mrs Waters was not of that delicate race of women who are obliged to

the invention of vehicles for the capacity of removing themselves from

one place to another, and with whom consequently a coach is reckoned

among the necessaries of life. Her limbs were indeed full of strength

and agility, and, as her mind was no less animated with spirit, she

was perfectly able to keep pace with her nimble lover.

Having travelled on for some miles in a high road, which Northerton

said he was informed led to Hereford, they came at the break of day to

the side of a large wood, where he suddenly stopped, and, affecting to

meditate a moment with himself, expressed some apprehensions from

travelling any longer in so public a way. Upon which he easily

persuaded his fair companion to strike with him into a path which

seemed to lead directly through the wood, and which at length brought

them both to the bottom of Mazard Hill.

Whether the execrable scheme which he now attempted to execute was the

effect of previous deliberation, or whether it now first came into his

head, I cannot determine. But being arrived in this lonely place,

where it was very improbable he should meet with any interruption, he

suddenly slipped his garter from his leg, and, laying violent hands on

the poor woman, endeavoured to perpetrate that dreadful and detestable

fact which we have before commemorated, and which the providential

appearance of Jones did so fortunately prevent.

Happy was it for Mrs Waters that she was not of the weakest order of

females; for no sooner did she perceive, by his tying a knot in his

garter, and by his declarations, what his hellish intentions were,

than she stood stoutly to her defence, and so strongly struggled with

her enemy, screaming all the while for assistance, that she delayed

the execution of the villain's purpose several minutes, by which means

Mr Jones came to her relief at that very instant when her strength

failed and she was totally overpowered, and delivered her from the

ruffian's hands, with no other loss than that of her cloaths, which

were torn from her back, and of the diamond ring, which during the

contention either dropped from her finger, or was wrenched from it by

Northerton.

Thus, reader, we have given thee the fruits of a very painful enquiry

which for thy satisfaction we have made into this matter. And here we

have opened to thee a scene of folly as well as villany, which we

could scarce have believed a human creature capable of being guilty

of, had we not remembered that this fellow was at that time firmly

persuaded that he had already committed a murder, and had forfeited

his life to the law. As he concluded therefore that his only safety

lay in flight, he thought the possessing himself of this poor woman's

money and ring would make him amends for the additional burthen he was

to lay on his conscience.

And here, reader, we must strictly caution thee that thou dost not

take any occasion, from the misbehaviour of such a wretch as this, to

reflect on so worthy and honourable a body of men as are the officers

of our army in general. Thou wilt be pleased to consider that this

fellow, as we have already informed thee, had neither the birth nor

education of a gentleman, nor was a proper person to be enrolled among

the number of such. If, therefore, his baseness can justly reflect on

any besides himself, it must be only on those who gave him his

commission.