Chapter ix.

Containing love-letters of several sorts.

Mr Jones, at his return home, found the following letters lying on his

table, which he luckily opened in the order they were sent.

LETTER I.

“Surely I am under some strange infatuation; I cannot keep my

resolutions a moment, however strongly made or justly founded. Last

night I resolved never to see you more; this morning I am willing to

hear if you can, as you say, clear up this affair. And yet I know

that to be impossible. I have said everything to myself which you

can invent.----Perhaps not. Perhaps your invention is stronger. Come

to me, therefore, the moment you receive this. If you can forge an

excuse I almost promise you to believe it. Betrayed too----I will

think no more.----Come to me directly.----This is the third letter I

have writ, the two former are burnt----I am almost inclined to burn

this too----I wish I may preserve my senses.----Come to me

presently.”

LETTER II.

“If you ever expect to be forgiven, or even suffered within my

doors, come to me this instant.”

LETTER III.

“I now find you was not at home when my notes came to your lodgings.

The moment you receive this let me see you;--I shall not stir out;

nor shall anybody be let in but yourself. Sure nothing can detain

you long.”

Jones had just read over these three billets when Mr Nightingale came

into the room. “Well, Tom,” said he, “any news from Lady Bellaston,

after last night's adventure?” (for it was now no secret to any one in

that house who the lady was). “The Lady Bellaston?” answered Jones

very gravely.----“Nay, dear Tom,” cries Nightingale, “don't be so

reserved to your friends. Though I was too drunk to see her last

night, I saw her at the masquerade. Do you think I am ignorant who the

queen of the fairies is?” “And did you really then know the lady at

the masquerade?” said Jones. “Yes, upon my soul, did I,” said

Nightingale, “and have given you twenty hints of it since, though you

seemed always so tender on that point, that I would not speak plainly.

I fancy, my friend, by your extreme nicety in this matter, you are not

so well acquainted with the character of the lady as with her person.

Don't be angry, Tom, but upon my honour, you are not the first young

fellow she hath debauched. Her reputation is in no danger, believe

me.”

Though Jones had no reason to imagine the lady to have been of the

vestal kind when his amour began; yet, as he was thoroughly ignorant

of the town, and had very little acquaintance in it, he had no

knowledge of that character which is vulgarly called a demirep; that

is to say, a woman who intrigues with every man she likes, under the

name and appearance of virtue; and who, though some over-nice ladies

will not be seen with her, is visited (as they term it) by the whole

town, in short, whom everybody knows to be what nobody calls her.

When he found, therefore, that Nightingale was perfectly acquainted

with his intrigue, and began to suspect that so scrupulous a delicacy

as he had hitherto observed was not quite necessary on the occasion,

he gave a latitude to his friend's tongue, and desired him to speak

plainly what he knew, or had ever heard of the lady.

Nightingale, who, in many other instances, was rather too effeminate

in his disposition, had a pretty strong inclination to tittle-tattle.

He had no sooner, therefore, received a full liberty of speaking from

Jones, than he entered upon a long narrative concerning the lady;

which, as it contained many particulars highly to her dishonour, we

have too great a tenderness for all women of condition to repeat. We

would cautiously avoid giving an opportunity to the future

commentators on our works, of making any malicious application and of

forcing us to be, against our will, the author of scandal, which never

entered into our head.

Jones, having very attentively heard all that Nightingale had to say,

fetched a deep sigh; which the other, observing, cried, “Heyday! why,

thou art not in love, I hope! Had I imagined my stories would have

affected you, I promise you should never have heard them.” “O my dear

friend!” cries Jones, “I am so entangled with this woman, that I know

not how to extricate myself. In love, indeed! no, my friend, but I am

under obligations to her, and very great ones. Since you know so much,

I will be very explicit with you. It is owing, perhaps, solely to her,

that I have not, before this, wanted a bit of bread. How can I

possibly desert such a woman? and yet I must desert her, or be guilty

of the blackest treachery to one who deserves infinitely better of me

than she can; a woman, my Nightingale, for whom I have a passion which

few can have an idea of. I am half distracted with doubts how to act.”

“And is this other, pray, an honourable mistress?” cries Nightingale.

“Honourable!” answered Jones; “no breath ever yet durst sully her

reputation. The sweetest air is not purer, the limpid stream not

clearer, than her honour. She is all over, both in mind and body,

consummate perfection. She is the most beautiful creature in the

universe: and yet she is mistress of such noble elevated qualities,

that, though she is never from my thoughts, I scarce ever think of her

beauty but when I see it.”--“And can you, my good friend,” cries

Nightingale, “with such an engagement as this upon your hands,

hesitate a moment about quitting such a--” “Hold,” said Jones, “no

more abuse of her: I detest the thought of ingratitude.” “Pooh!”

answered the other, “you are not the first upon whom she hath

conferred obligations of this kind. She is remarkably liberal where

she likes; though, let me tell you, her favours are so prudently

bestowed, that they should rather raise a man's vanity than his

gratitude.” In short, Nightingale proceeded so far on this head, and

told his friend so many stories of the lady, which he swore to the

truth of, that he entirely removed all esteem for her from the breast

of Jones; and his gratitude was lessened in proportion. Indeed, he

began to look on all the favours he had received rather as wages than

benefits, which depreciated not only her, but himself too in his own

conceit, and put him quite out of humour with both. From this disgust,

his mind, by a natural transition, turned towards Sophia; her virtue,

her purity, her love to him, her sufferings on his account, filled all

his thoughts, and made his commerce with Lady Bellaston appear still

more odious. The result of all was, that, though his turning himself

out of her service, in which light he now saw his affair with her,

would be the loss of his bread; yet he determined to quit her, if he

could but find a handsome pretence: which being communicated to his

friend, Nightingale considered a little, and then said, “I have it, my

boy! I have found out a sure method; propose marriage to her, and I

would venture hanging upon the success.” “Marriage?” cries Jones. “Ay,

propose marriage,” answered Nightingale, “and she will declare off in

a moment. I knew a young fellow whom she kept formerly, who made the

offer to her in earnest, and was presently turned off for his pains.”

Jones declared he could not venture the experiment. “Perhaps,” said

he, “she may be less shocked at this proposal from one man than from

another. And if she should take me at my word, where am I then?

caught, in my own trap, and undone for ever.” “No;” answered

Nightingale, “not if I can give you an expedient by which you may at

any time get out of the trap.”----“What expedient can that be?”

replied Jones. “This,” answered Nightingale. “The young fellow I

mentioned, who is one of the most intimate acquaintances I have in the

world, is so angry with her for some ill offices she hath since done

him, that I am sure he would, without any difficulty, give you a sight

of her letters; upon which you may decently break with her; and

declare off before the knot is tyed, if she should really be willing

to tie it, which I am convinced she will not.”

After some hesitation, Jones, upon the strength of this assurance,

consented; but, as he swore he wanted the confidence to propose the

matter to her face, he wrote the following letter, which Nightingale

dictated:--

“MADAM,

“I am extremely concerned, that, by an unfortunate engagement

abroad, I should have missed receiving the honour of your ladyship's

commands the moment they came; and the delay which I must now suffer

of vindicating myself to your ladyship greatly adds to this

misfortune. O, Lady Bellaston! what a terror have I been in for fear

your reputation should be exposed by these perverse accidents! There

is one only way to secure it. I need not name what that is. Only

permit me to say, that as your honour is as dear to me as my own, so

my sole ambition is to have the glory of laying my liberty at your

feet; and believe me when I assure you, I can never be made

completely happy without you generously bestow on me a legal right

of calling you mine for ever.--I am,

madam,

with most profound respect,

your ladyship's most obliged,

obedient, humble servant,

THOMAS JONES.”

To this she presently returned the following answer:

“SIR,

“When I read over your serious epistle, I could, from its coldness

and formality, have sworn that you already had the legal right you

mention; nay, that we had for many years composed that monstrous

animal a husband and wife. Do you really then imagine me a fool? or

do you fancy yourself capable of so entirely persuading me out of my

senses, that I should deliver my whole fortune into your power, in

order to enable you to support your pleasures at my expense? Are

these the proofs of love which I expected? Is this the return for--?

but I scorn to upbraid you, and am in great admiration of your

profound respect.

“P.S. I am prevented from revising:----Perhaps I have said more than

I meant.----Come to me at eight this evening.”

Jones, by the advice of his privy-council, replied:

“MADAM,

“It is impossible to express how much I am shocked at the suspicion

you entertain of me. Can Lady Bellaston have conferred favours on a

man whom she could believe capable of so base a design? or can she

treat the most solemn tie of love with contempt? Can you imagine,

madam, that if the violence of my passion, in an unguarded moment,

overcame the tenderness which I have for your honour, I would think

of indulging myself in the continuance of an intercourse which could

not possibly escape long the notice of the world; and which, when

discovered, must prove so fatal to your reputation? If such be your

opinion of me, I must pray for a sudden opportunity of returning

those pecuniary obligations, which I have been so unfortunate to

receive at your hands; and for those of a more tender kind, I shall

ever remain, &c.” And so concluded in the very words with which he

had concluded the former letter.

The lady answered as follows:

“I see you are a villain! and I despise you from my soul. If you

come here I shall not be at home.”

Though Jones was well satisfied with his deliverance from a thraldom

which those who have ever experienced it will, I apprehend, allow to

be none of the lightest, he was not, however, perfectly easy in his

mind. There was in this scheme too much of fallacy to satisfy one who

utterly detested every species of falshood or dishonesty: nor would

he, indeed, have submitted to put it in practice, had he not been

involved in a distressful situation, where he was obliged to be guilty

of some dishonour, either to the one lady or the other; and surely the

reader will allow, that every good principle, as well as love, pleaded

strongly in favour of Sophia.

Nightingale highly exulted in the success of his stratagem, upon which

he received many thanks and much applause from his friend. He

answered, “Dear Tom, we have conferred very different obligations on

each other. To me you owe the regaining your liberty; to you I owe the

loss of mine. But if you are as happy in the one instance as I am in

the other, I promise you we are the two happiest fellows in England.”

The two gentlemen were now summoned down to dinner, where Mrs Miller,

who performed herself the office of cook, had exerted her best talents

to celebrate the wedding of her daughter. This joyful circumstance she

ascribed principally to the friendly behaviour of Jones, her whole

soul was fired with gratitude towards him, and all her looks, words,

and actions, were so busied in expressing it, that her daughter, and

even her new son-in-law, were very little objects of her

consideration.

Dinner was just ended when Mrs Miller received a letter; but as we

have had letters enow in this chapter, we shall communicate its

contents in our next.